IPL 2023: Sunil Gavaskar Impressed With Hardik Pandya Captaincy At Gujarat Titans

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Kolkata, April 29: Former India cricketer turned expert Sunil Gavaskar has been mightily impressed with the way star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has led Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The India all-rounder has led by example and helped GT return to winnings ways in IPL 2023 despite the team losing some close encounters, which tend to dent the morale of the teammates.

Praising the Baroda cricketer for his inspiring leadership qualities, Gavaskar said Pandya, who is not trying to impose his personality on his teammates, is going to leave a lasting legacy in the IPL with his captaincy.

"Sometimes the captains try to keep their personality and the team's personality the same. The personality of the captain and the team could be different," Gavaskar said on Star Sports' Cricket Live show.

"Hardik is not trying to impose his personality on the team. That's what Hardik is doing with GT. This is going to be his legacy as a skipper. He's very similar to MS Dhoni in his approach as captain and imbibed the good qualities from his former India skipper."

Hardik and GT will face Kolkata Knight Riders in the first encounter on double-header Saturday (April 29). Rinku Singh's heist in the final over against Yash Dayal will be on the minds of captain Pandya as GT look to respond at Eden Gardens in the reverse fixture.

Nitish Rana-led KKR arrested a four-match slide with an emphatic win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at M Chinnaswamy in Bengaluru. The team will be confident after completing the double against RCB and will hope to do the double over GT now.

Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh, meanwhile, reflected on KKR's struggle in TATA IPL 2023 and said Andre Russell's form with the bat is a concern for the team as they look to climb up the table.

"Russell is struggling with bat big-time this season and till he fires, KKR will find themselves in the bottom half of the points table. Russell's problem is technical. He and the coaching staff need to sit down and address it," Harbhajan said.

Delhi Capitals defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the latter's backyard in their last game. David Warner & Co. will be looking to produce a similar result later tonight in the reverse fixture at Arun Jaitley Stadium.

All-rounder Axar Patel has been the vital cog in Delhi Capitals' wheel in TATA IPL and the India cricketer - who was the player of the match in the last game - will once again play a crucial role for DC.

Former India cricketer hailed the rise of Axar Patel and backed the Gujarat cricketer to be the next captain of Delhi Capitals due to his ability to perform well in every department.

"Axar Patel is a proper all-rounder. He varies his deliveries very well and picks up crucial wickets whenever the team requires him. He plays mature knocks and is an equally good fielder. I see him as a potential captain for Delhi Capitals," said Pathan.