IPL 2022: Aakash Chopra on Gujarat Titans Captain Hardik Pandya Challenges

Mumbai: As Hardik Pandya gets ready for a new challenge this IPL season, there would be hopes pinned on him by Gujarat fans as he gets set to lead the Titans. Pandya was one of the three players picked by the Titans at the draft before the auction just goes to show the faith the franchise has shown in him.

Hailing him as a match-winner, ex-India player Aakash Chopra is confused over what Hardik will bring to the fore.

“There are a lot of expectations from Gujarat Titans. He [Hardik] is captaining for the first time. What he will bring, God only knows. He is a very good player, match-winner, game-changer, will bat and bowl, likes to be in the thick of action,” Aakash said on his YouTube channel.

Aakash also reckoned Hardik would be someone who would like to lead by example. He added: “It seems he can be a captain who will say that he will do it and show and ask everyone else to follow him. That is the kind of energy he is going to bring, that’s what you feel.”

He also highlighted the challenges for Hardik after Gujarat’s ‘up and down’ auction. Aakash concluded: “But what could be the challenges because he is a captain of a new franchise? They picked well in the draft but after that, I feel the auction was slightly up and down. Then Jason Roy left and you have picked Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The good thing is that David Miller finally showed some form, he scored runs against Bangladesh.”