You need to be a proper devil to hate Mahendra Singh Dhoni: Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya, the captain of Gujarat Titans, has always been very vocal about his relationship with former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The duo share a special bond, and Pandya has always considered Dhoni as an idol. He has been a fan of the Chennai Super Kings skipper, and has also reflected upon the learnings.

Pandya, as a captain, is pretty calm. He likes to keep things simple, and he does not show aggression on the field often, traits that are seen in ‘captain cool’ MS Dhoni. Pandya will be leading defending champions Gujarat Titans against Dhoni’s CSK in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League 2023 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on May 23.

Ahead of the crucial contest, Gujarat Titans shared a video of Pandya speaking in depth about his relationship with Dhoni where he said that he has always seen MSD as a friend, as a brother and also went on to say that only a proper devil can hate the 41-year-old.

“A lot of people think Mahi is serious and all that. For me, I crack jokes and I don't see him as Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Obviously, I have learned a lot of things from him, a lot of positive things, which I have learned from him just while watching, not even much talking. But for me, he is just my dear friend, dear brother, who I do pranks, who I chill, and I will always be a Mahendra Singh Dhoni fan and for so many fans out there and so many cricket lovers. You need to be a proper devil to hate Mahendra Singh Dhoni,” Pandya said.

Gujarat Titans@gujarat_titans

Captain. Leader. Legend. @msdhoni is an emotion 💙 Here’s a special tribute from @hardikpandya7 to the one and only Thala ahead of a special matchday in Chennai! 🤝 #GTvCSK | #PhariAavaDe | #TATAIPL Playoffs 2023

09:25 AM · May 23, 2023

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CSK and GT gear up for Qualifier 1 of IPL 2023

Speaking of the Gujarat-Chennai encounter, the two sides have locked horns thrice in the tournament’s history, with Pandya’s team winning on all occasions. Ever since Gujarat Titans’ inception in the cash-rich event, CSK have never managed to defeat them but would be hoping to turn the tables around at their home ground. While Gujarat, on the other hand, would be hoping to extend their domination.