"I have advised him to control his emotions on the field" - Mohammad Shami on Hardik Pandya's captaincy in IPL 2022
Gujarat Titans (GT) pacer Mohammad Shami believes his captain Hardik Pandya has shown great maturity as a leader in the IPL 2022 season so far. Pandya and his men sealed a top-two finish with a win in their last game against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday, May 15.
Hardik Pandya has always been a player who has liked to express his emotions. However, Mohammad Shami lauded him for keeping his emotions under check while captaining GT this season.
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Speaking to reporters after the game against CSK, Shami explained why being a senior member of the IPL team, he advised Pandya to remain calm as a captain, saying:
"After he (Hardik) became captain, he has become more normal, his reactions have been tempered (mellowed). I have advised him to control his emotions on the field because the entire world watches cricket. It is very important as a leader to be sensible, and understand situations and he has performed that role to perfection.”
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I have witnessed a lot of changes in Hardik Pandya as a captain: Mohammad Shami
Shami also stated that Hardik Pandya has changed as a person since becoming the captain of the team. The speedster, who has also played under other captains like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, had to say this about their different captaincy styles:
"He (Hardik Pandya) has kept the team together. I have witnessed a lot of changes in him as a captain in comparison to a player. Every captain has a different temperament. Mahi (Dhoni) bhai was quiet, Virat was aggressive, Rohit leads according to match situations, so understanding Hardik’s mindset is not a rocket science.”
Having already confirmed their place in Qualifier 1, GT might be tempted to try out some other players on their bench in their last league game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 19.