Former captain of the Indian cricket team Sunil Gavaskar was praising the captain of the Gujarat Titans, Hardik Pandya, saying that the calmness he brings to the team reminds him of the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Gujarat Titans, under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya, reached their second successive IPL final after defeating five-time champion Mumbai Indians by 62 runs in qualifier 2.
Gavaskar said, "Hardik has been very open about his admiration and affection for MSD, just like all those who have followed MSD's career. When they go out to the toss, they will be very friendly, smiling, and all that. But when it comes to the match, it will be a completely different atmosphere. It's a very good opportunity for Hardik Pandya to show how quickly he has learned."
Gavaskar also added that, "When he was captaining for the first time last year, nobody knew what to expect because he has been one of the most exciting and excitable cricketers as well. But that excitable part, we have seen over the last year."
Gavaskar also gives credit for the success of the Gujarat Titans to coach Ashish Nehra, saying, "The calmness that he brings into the team is reminiscent of MSD. This is a happy team, which is exactly what we see with CSK as well. Hardik has to take a lot of credit for that.