IPL 2022: Hardik Pandya’s maturity as captain absolutely fantastic to see, says Sunil Gavaskar

IPL 2022: Sunil Gavaskar heaped rich praise on Hardik Pandya, saying the maturity with which he has been leading the Gujarat Titans franchise in the ongoing season is praiseworthy.

Batting great Sunil Gavaskar said he has been enjoying watching Hardik Pandya lead Gujarat Titans with incredible maturity in IPL 2022. The former India captain said the way Hardik has managed the team even when they lost a couple of matches in the middle shows that the all-rounder is evolving as a leader and cricketer.

Questions were asked about Hardik Pandya's form and fitness when he was named as the captain of one of the two new franchises for IPL 2022, Gujarat Titans. Not many gave GT a chance after the mega auction in February but both Hardik and his team, Gujarat, have proved naysayers wrong.

Hardik Pandya-led GT have become the first team in IPL 2022 to book a place in the playoffs. GT are at the top of the points table with 18 points from 12 matches. On Tuesday, Gujarat ended a 2-match losing streak, hammering Lucknow Super Giants in a top-of-the-table battle, successfully defending 144 as they bundled out LSG for 144.

Hardik himself has shone with the bat, taking up more responsibility at the top of the order, scoring 344 runs in 11 matches at an average of close to 40.

With his performances in IPL 2022, Hardik has certainly put his name back in contention for the senior national side. The Baroda all-rounder last played for India at the T20 World Cup following which he took time out to recover from recurring back injuries.

"It is very exciting to see him perform. Not just heartening, but also very exciting, because he is an exciting cricketer with the bat, the ball and on the field, he is dynamite. It’s exciting to see him back to his best," Gavaskar told Sports Today.

"His maturity every game as a captain, as a batter has been absolutely fantastic to see.