File image of Michael Vaughan.©Instagram
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan has hailed Hardik Pandya as India’s future captain after leading the Gujarat Titans to an IPL title victory for the first time. Hardik led from the front with a three-wicket carry and a crucial 34 as Gujarat beat former champions Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to lift the 2022 IPL trophy on Sunday. He was named “Player of the Match” for his brilliant performance. Earlier, several other former players including Virender Sehwag and Ravi Shatri praised Hardik’s captaincy in IPL 2022.
“A fantastic achievement for a new franchise… If India needed a captain in a few years I wouldn’t look past @hardikpandya7… Well done Gujurat… #IPL2022,” Vaughan tweeted. .
Fantastic achievement for a new franchise… If India needed a captain in a few years, I wouldn’t look beyond @hardikpandya7 … Bravo Gujurat .. #IPL2022
—Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) May 29, 2022
Rohit Sharma is currently India’s captain in all formats, having taken over from Virat Kohli.
The 28-year-old Hardik’s leadership skills have been praised by former and current players including former India captain Sunil Gavaskar and GT team mentor Gary Kirsten.
Hardik, who racked up 487 runs and took 8 wickets, was nothing short of sensational in the final as Gujarat limited a formidable Rajasthan Royals batting unit to 130 for nine.
He also scored a crucial 34 before Shubman Gill and David Miller went unbeaten on 45 and 32 to bring the team home in 18.1 overs.
It should have been a comfortable chase, but Rajasthan went all out to make it an interesting finale. As they have shown all season, Gujarat remained calm in tight situations to complete the chase in 18.1 overs.
Promoted
Few gave Gujarat a chance in their debut season, especially after a mixed auction where they waited until the end to secure the services of wicketkeepers Wriddhiman Saha and Matthew Wade.
It wasn’t a team strewn with star players, but Hardik impressed with his leadership and got the most out of his colleagues.
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