IPL 2022: Captain Hardik Pandya Will Always Leave His Door Open for Teammates

Hardik Pandya will be captain of the new Ahmedabad franchise in IPL 2022.
The Quint
IPL
Updated:
Hardik Pandya at the new Motera Stadium. 
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Image: Hardik Pandya/Twitter
Hardik Pandya at the new Motera Stadium. 
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One of the biggest questions going into the IPL in 2022 is what role will Hardik Pandya play for his Ahmedabad franchise. Will he bowl? The cricketer himself is doing his best to keep things under wraps, and said that his team is aware of his situation.

"It's a surprise for everyone," Hardik said.

Hardik, along with Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and India batter Shubman Gill were Ahmedabad’s picks before the IPL Auction. Hardik will lead the side and wants his side to script a new legacy.

"We are starting from scratch and I feel we can create new legacies, we can create new cultures which I want to endorse. It's going to be a very exciting time," Hardik said.

Having played under MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the all-rounder is hopeful of being able to pick up the best traits from them as he embarks on a new chapter.

"There's no manual of learning how to become a captain," he started. "I've always been a person who likes to take responsibility and I am looking forward to the challenge. As a captain, I want to ensure all the players have enough time from me. That's what I've learnt and I'll make sure my doors will always be open for them.

"When someone is doing well, they don't need anyone. When someone is having a bad day, that's when they need you. As a captain, when someone is doing good, I will not bother them. When someone is down, I'll be always available to them."

When asked about specific qualities he’d pick from Dhoni, Kohli or Rohit, the all-rounder said, "From Virat, I would pick his aggression, passion and energy, which is tremendous. With Mahi bhai, I would pick the composed nature. From Rohit, I'll let the players decide what they want to do. These three qualities I'll take from them and bring here."

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"We are starting from scratch and I feel we can create new legacies, we can create new cultures which I want to endorse. It's going to be a very exciting time," Hardik said.

Having played under MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the all-rounder is hopeful of being able to pick up the best traits from them as he embarks on a new chapter.

"There's no manual of learning how to become a captain," he started. "I've always been a person who likes to take responsibility and I am looking forward to the challenge. As a captain, I want to ensure all the players have enough time from me. That's what I've learnt and I'll make sure my doors will always be open for them.

"When someone is doing well, they don't need anyone. When someone is having a bad day, that's when they need you. As a captain, when someone is doing good, I will not bother them. When someone is down, I'll be always available to them."

When asked about specific qualities he’d pick from Dhoni, Kohli or Rohit, the all-rounder said, "From Virat, I would pick his aggression, passion and energy, which is tremendous. With Mahi bhai, I would pick the composed nature. From Rohit, I'll let the players decide what they want to do. These three qualities I'll take from them and bring here."

(With Cricbuzz inputs)

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Published: 01 Feb 2022,05:24 PM IST

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