I would call Hardik Pandya the junior version of MS Dhoni: R. Sai Kishore

The Indian Premier League 2022 concluded on May 29 with Gujarat Titans winning the title in their first appearance in the tournament. They won by seven wickets against Rajasthan Royals in the final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Gujarat Titans (GT) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) also finished in the top two of the league table wherein the table-toppers, led by Hardik Pandya held their nerves and clinched the trophy.

Following the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction 2022, many experts including former India batter Aakash Chopra did not rate the franchise’s recruitment highly. They bid for several young uncapped players and a few veterans. Eyebrows were raised when GT announced that Pandya was going to be the captain of the team, questioning his leadership skills. But as the tournament progressed, GT’s auction strategy was praised for having the right balance and squad strength. 

My game-reading skills have improved: R. Sai Kishore

At the end of the league stage, GT finished at the top of the table with 10 wins out of 14 games. They also marched into the final straight away from Qualifier 1. Captain Pandya was lauded for his performance and the ability to lead from the front.  While talking about Pandya’s captaincy, GT left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore drew a comparison with former India captain MS Dhoni. Sai Kishore was part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad in IPL 2020 under Dhoni. The left-arm bowler called Pandya the ‘junior version of Dhoni’, as quoted by NDTV. He also spoke about the team and his individual performance in the season.

“I would call Hardik the junior version of Dhoni. It was a great season but I feel I can do better. I will want to continue improving my game in the coming month. Bowling to MS Dhoni at the nets and speaking to him about the game did a world of good for me. My game-reading skills have improved,” said R Sai Kishore.