Mohammad Kaif lauds Hardik Pandya as GT reach final: Haven't seen a better captain than him in IPL 2022

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has lauded Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya for his terrific leadership skills in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Pandya has been exceptional as captain in his debut stint with GT and has already inspired them to their maiden final in their very first season in the league. Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets on Tuesday (May 24) to become the first team to secure a spot in the final of IPL 2022.

It was a clinical batting performance from the Titans after being asked to chase down a strong target of 189 runs in the Qualifier 1 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. David Miller turned out to be the hero with the bat for GT as he played a sensational knock of unbeaten 68 off 38 balls and was well supported by Pandya, who scored an unbeaten 40 off just 27 balls

Pandya has not only impressed as the leader of the side but has also led from the front when it comes to his performances with the willow. He has notched up 453 runs in 14 matches for GT at an impressive average of 45.30 and a strike rate of over 132. Pandya has also picked up five wickets for his team in nine innings so far this season.

Kaif heaped praise on Pandya for his captaincy and called him the best captain of IPL 2022. The former India batter also lauded Hardik for his tactical decisions and bowling changes which helped GT become the first team to make it to the final of the tournament this year.

"The guy (Pandya) stands at mid-off and speaks to the bowler on every ball, so much coordination, so much talk, you can talk about the transparency or the role. We didn't see a better captain than Hardik Pandya in this IPL, he did fantastic captaincy," said Kaif on Star Sports.

"He knows when to bat or bowl after winning the toss. They won eight of their first nine matches, they played badly after that, they came here after losing three of their last five matches. This was a pressure game for them but still said that these are new conditions, it is overcast, it had rained, so they will field first," he added.

During GT's run-chase against RR on Tuesday, Pandya walked out to bat at number 4 and joined forces with Miller in the middle to post a match-winning stand of unbeaten 106 runs for the fourth wicket. Pandya looked in a fabulous touch and looked in complete control while batting.

Kaif lauded the GT skipper for stepping up and taking the responsibility of batting at no.4 for his team in a crucial run-chase and taking them over the line with Miller.

"When he (Pandya) came, he had reached 22 runs off the 11 balls, it shows he has the form. He said that he will play at No. 4, he has decided his number. He looked in control overall and the way both of them finished, it was a fantastic partnership," said Kaif.