Hardik Pandya for India captaincy? Sunil Gavaskar throws weight behind GT skipper after IPL 2022 triumph

Hardik Pandya has been garnering praise from all corners for his excellent captaincy in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 after leading Gujarat Titans (GT) to their maiden title triumph in their debut campaign. Hardik was roped in by GT ahead of the start of IPL 2022 after being released by his former side Mumbai Indians. The star all-rounder was also appointed as the captain of his side and the moves turned out to be a masterstroke as Hardik inspired his team to their first title in his first season as captain.

Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) by seven wickets in the final of IPL 2022 on Sunday (May 29) to clinch the elusive trophy and cap off a fairytale run this season. Gujarat Titans were one of the most consistent teams throughout the league stage and were the first to reach the playoffs. They came up against Rajasthan Royals twice in the knockout stage and defeated them on both occasions to be crowned champions.

Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar heaped praise on Hardik's captaincy as he spoke about his rise as captain in IPL 2022. Not many had expected the all-rounder to lead his team to their maiden title in their very first season, however, GT managed to pull off some miraculous wins under Hardik to go all the way in the tournament.

“Yes definitely. Not just my estimation, but everybody’s estimation (Hardik’s reputation as a leader has gone up). This was an aspect of his game which nobody had too much information about," Gavaskar said on Star Sports following GT's win over RR in the IPL 2022 final.

“We all knew what he could do with the bat, what he could do with the ball, but there was just a little bit of a concern before the start of the season about whether he would be able to bowl his full quota of 4 overs. He has done that, he has shown that. That all-rounder aspect is done, and everybody is happy. But this now, the way he has led the team, the way he has got them together, the way he has got them to gel together means he has got leadership qualities," he added.

Gavaskar also threw his weight behind Hardik as a potential contender to become India's next captain in the future. Currently, Rohit Sharma is in charge of the Indian team across formats and several players are being groomed to take up the role in the future. Gavaskar believes the leadership qualities shown by Hardik in IPL 2022 have opened the doors for him to be able to captain the Indian team one day.

“When you have leadership qualities, it automatically opens the door for honours at the national level to be able to captain the Indian national team in the near future. So that’s exciting, there are 3-4 other names in the ring. I am not saying he is the next in line. But for the selection committee to have that option is fantastic,” Gavaskar explained.

There were concerns over Hardik's bowling ahead of the start of the season as the all-rounder was making a comeback after a long break and had not bowled too much in the IPL or international cricket over the last couple of years. While he didn't bowl regularly, the GT skipper stepped up with the ball when his team needed him.

In the final against RR, he was the pick of the bowlers for GT with a three-wicket haul while conceding only 17 runs off his four overs. Hardik finished the season with 487 runs and 8 wickets in 15 matches for the Titans to help them win their maiden title in debut season.