Mentor vs Mentee: It's MS Dhoni vs Hardik Pandya As Both Teams Fret On 'Impact Players'

30.03.2023 - 12:35 sports.ndtv.com

Hardik Pandya's youthful leadership template will meet its match in Mahendra Singh Dhoni's time-tested improvisations as defending champions Gujarat Titans clash with eternal title contenders Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League opener in Ahmedabad on Friday.

The 2022 was Pandya's first year as an IPL captain and despite his flamboyance on and off the field, he did invoke a certain sense of calm in Titans' campaign that had the an identical start to finish tempo, unmatched by any other team.

With Shubman Gill in the form of his life, Rashid Khan not losing one bit of his consistency and Pandya himself having his worth weight in gold, Gujarat are once again the team to beat.

David Miller's absence from the opener due to national duty will reduce some middle-order muscle but Rahul Tewatia, who has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years, could compensate for the temporary miss.

cricket MS Dhoni Chennai Super Kings on impact as Hardik Pandya Gujarat Titans Rahul Tewatia India Ahmedabad county Kings Chennai

Last year's finalists, Rajasthan Royals pulled off a memorable run chase against defending champions Gujarat Titans, handing them their second straight loss at home. It was their skipper Sanju Samson who led from the front, scoring a 32-ball 60 to lay the foundation of a tricky run-chase that was finished by Shimron Hetmyer. Lavishing praise upon Samson, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh compared him to none other than the great MS Dhoni while advocating his case for regular game-time in the Indian national cricket team.

IPL 2023: Hardik Pandya Joins Elite List, Becomes Only 2nd Indian To Achieve This Unique Feat

Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya on Sunday achieved a significant milestone by scoring 2000 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Pandya achieved the feat during a match against Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Pandya achieved this feat as he smashed the crucial runs in the eighth over, smashing a carrom ball from off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin over mid-off/extra cover. Pandya, who started the game just 16 runs shy of the 2000-run mark, has now joined an elite group of IPL players who have scored 2000 runs and taken 50 wickets. The hard-hitting all-rounder has taken 50 wickets in the IPL over a nine-year and 100-match career.

"Show Temperament Like MS Dhoni": Ex-India Star Unimpressed By Shubman Gill's Approach Against PBKS

It isn't often that we see the top-scoring batter of a match coming in the line of fire. Gujarat Titans opener Shubman Gill scored 67 runs off 49 balls, playing a big role in the team's pursuit of 154-run target against Punjab Kings. However, despite chasing a mediocre total, and get the sort of start Gujarat got, not many expected the game to go to the last over. Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, displeased with the batting shown by Shubman Gill, advised him to learn from MS Dhoni if he wants to stay till the end and finish the chase.

Watch: Wriddhiman Saha Forces Reluctant Hardik Pandya To Take DRS. Here's What Happened Next

Gujarat Titans wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha forced captain Hardik Pandya into taking a Decesion Review System (DRS) call during the IPL 2023 game against Punjab Kings on Friday. Saha's insistence at taking the review helped the side dismiss PBKS' star batter Jitesh Sharma. The incident happened on the third ball of the 13th over when Jitesh got a faint edge of Mohit Sharma's delivery, and Saha took an easy catch. While the umpire and the bowler remain unmoved, Saha kept insisting for the review.

Hardik Pandya Fined For Gujarat Titans' Slow Over Rate

Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya has been fined Rs 12 lakh for maintaining a slow over rate during their Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Punjab Kings here. The IPL aims for matches to finish in three hours and 20 minutes, but slow overrate is proving to be an issue with several games stretching past the four-hour mark. "As it was his team's first offence of the season under the IPL's Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Mr. Pandya was fined Rs. 12 lakh," an IPL media advisory said on Friday.

"Would Not Appreciate...": Hardik Pandya's Firm Message To Teammates After GT's Last-Over Win Over PBKS

Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya on Thursday urged his batters to be a bit more adventurous in the middle overs, in their upcoming Indian Premier League matches. Defending champions GT registered a six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings after Mohit Sharma's (2-/18) excellent return to the IPL and opener Shubman Gill's 49-ball 67. However, the game got quite close at the end with GT completing a chase of 154 with a ball to spare, something Hardik did not appreciate.