New Delhi: Hardik Pandya was the major ingredient in Gujarat Titans’ lip-smacking delights provided in IPL 2022. He was fitter, stronger, matured, and improved. Throughout the tournament, Hardik did not display any emotion. When he did, which was infrequent, it was almost always directed at himself. Hardik was so composed that when Shubman Gill struck the winning six off Obed McCoy to give GT their first IPL triumph, he did not yell, leap, or run onto the field. The GT skipper did nothing but smile. Hardik Stankovic hugged his wife Natasa Stankovic, who appeared distraught, as he carefully made his way into the playing area after exchanging pleasantries with his colleagues in the bench.
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The long emotional hugs and wide smiles said a lot. Winning a competition like the IPL, especially in your debut season, takes a lot of effort. Hardik, on the other hand, may have needed a little more. He was no longer a member of the Indian team, there were more questions than answers regarding his bowling fitness, no one knew how he would perform as a captain, and after a little more than two months, he answered them all in style.
Natasha’s hugging of Hardik after the match’s winner was full with emotion, satisfaction, and hard effort. During his statement, Hardik attributed his calm and demeanour during the tournament to his wife and son.
Hardik Pandya 2.0 could not have ended any better. He was named Player of the Match after scooping up RR’s three key wickets in Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and Shimron Hetmyer to restrict them to a meagre score of 130 for 9, and then dug deep to create a match-winning 64-run stand with Shubman Gill when his side was in trouble at 23 for 2 in the chase. Hardik Pandya scored 34 points from 30 balls. GT won by 7 wickets with 11 balls to spare.
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“I wanted to reveal what I’d worked so hard for at the appropriate time. From a bowling standpoint, today was the day I saved the best for last “During the post-match presentation ceremony, Hardik said.
“My team is the most crucial to me. That’s the kind of person I’ve always been. I’ll take it even if I have a bad season and my team wins. Batting comes first for me, and it will always be near and dear to my heart. When we finished the auction, it was evident that I needed to bat higher in order to guide “He went on to say.
