IPL 2022: "When Gujarat Titans named Hardik Pandya captain at the start of the season, I was a little worried" - Brad Hogg
Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg has admitted he was unsure of Hardik Pandya's leadership qualities before IPL 2022. However, Hogg believes the swashbuckling all-rounder has showcased excellent captaincy qualities, proving him wrong.
Pandya, captaining for the first time at any level, has been the most successful skipper in IPL 2022. The Baroda-born player has skippered the Gujarat Titans to nine wins in 12 games. The Titans also became the first team to qualify for the playoffs after defeating the Lucknow Super Giants convincingly this week.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Hogg admitted he was apprehensive at the start when the Titans chose Pandya as captain. The 51-year old recalled the Indian cricketer's words about wanting to be a mixture of Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Rohit Sharma when captaining the franchise.
"When Gujarat Titans named Hardik Pandya captain at the start of the season, I was a little worried because of the lack of experience, excitement, and enthusiasm getting in the way of clear decision making. Just before the tournament, an interview was had. Hardik was asked, 'What style of captain would he like to be?"
Hogg added:
"And he said I want to bring a bit of the three captains I've had under me at the top level to the fore. Virat Kohli: aggression and passion. MS Dhoni: calmness, composure, not changing in any situation. Rohit Sharma: freedom, allowing the players to play their natural game and backing the players' game plans. And he has shown that from day one with his captaincy. He has been brilliant."
Pandya notably made his international debut under MS Dhoni in 2016 and created a significant impact straightaway. The 28-year old was one of the most integral players in the Mumbai Indians' setup in the IPL, contributing heavily to their four out of five title victories.
"When it comes to game-changing situations, he's not afraid to take the moment on himself" - Brad Hogg
Hogg also observed that Pandya has walked on Kohli's philosophy of passion and aggression by taking the game to the opposition. As a result, the West Australian feels that mindset has rubbed off on the team, saying:
"Aggression and passion: he leads from the front, He got hit on the head by Malik early on in the season. The next ball, after shaking him off, he got behind the next one, and then took Malik apart for the rest of the over. When it comes to game-changing situations, he's not afraid to take the moment on himself."
The Aussie spinner added:
"He's not leaving it to anyone else. He will take on the Livingstones, he will take on the main bowlers. He'll take on those tough situations. A leader doing that, the players will follow and they are following."
Aye aye captain 🔥
Commendable spirit shown by our Titans, throughout 💙
#SeasonOfFirsts #AavaDe #LSGvGT #TATAIPL https://t.co/Ho1bu1hGtB
The Gujarat Titans still have a couple of games to go with a chance to solidify their top spot. They will next face the Chennai Super Kings on Sunday.