Hardik Pandya, a name that has millions of followers across the world, And there is a reason for it. You get someone like Pandya once in a decade. In fact, after Kapil Dev retired, India struggled for a bowling all-rounder for years until that gap was filled up by Pandya. Whatever side he leads, it will become a top side in the online IPL betting arena.
Pandya is an excellent batter in the middle order, bowls at a medium pace, and hence fills up the gap in the middle overs in ODI cricket. In T20 cricket, his street-smart cricket skills are an asset for any IPL franchise.
He was found in IPL before he was picked up for international cricket in the 2015-16 Australia tour. Nevertheless, in this article, we will focus on his captaincy and not on his all-round skills.
What is Hardik Pandya’s Captaincy Record in IPL?
Hardik Pandya spent his career with the Mumbai Indians, after which he moved to the Gujarat Titans in 2022, where he was named skipper.
All in all, he led in 31 games, winning 22 and losing 9.
Here’s his overall record:
| S. No | Player | Matches | Won | Lost |
| H Pandya | 31 | 22 | 9 |
Hardik Pandya Captaincy In 2022 IPL:
In its very first season, the Gujarat Titans went on to win the IPL trophy and Hardik, whom they had bought for INR 15 crore, played a key role in it.
- He was named the skipper straightaway, ensuring that he will have extra responsibility for the brand new franchise.
- Hardik showed brilliance right from day one as he made some superb bowling changes. He even promoted himself to number four on a few occasions.
- Despite being a lower-middle-order batter, he was not bothered to bat at the top.
- As mentioned above, he showed that he can be a bold skipper who wouldn’t mind taking the bull by the horns.
- Under his leadership, Gujarat played 14 games, winning 10 and losing just four.
- Under his leadership, Rashid Khan looked ruthless, and youngsters like Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan looked class apart.
- In the bowling department, he managed to get the best out of Mohammed Shami.
- The team played some brilliant cricket to reach the finals, where the captain led from the front.
- He picked up three wickets and also scored 34 runs as Gujarat went onto win the trophy.
Hardik Pandya Captaincy in 2023 IPL:
As the year progressed and the 2023 edition came calling, Pandya became the captain to beat and Gujarat Titans the team to beat:
- The team started with a bang as they beat the Chennai Super Kings by five wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in the season opener.
- They beat Delhi Capitals to notch up two in two, but a demoralizing defeat to the Kolkata Knight Riders followed.
- But Hardik ensured that they didn’t lose morale. Eventually, they would win four out of the next five games.
- Consistency followed during the business end, and they sealed the deal for the IPL playoffs, becoming the first team to do so.
- Under his leadership, Gill got the freedom that he wanted, and it showed as he became the Orange Cap Holder.
- Meanwhile, senior workhorse Shami too continued to shine and became the Purple Cap winner with 28 wickets to his name.
- Gujarat’s biggest win came in the second qualifier, where they beat the Mumbai Indians to reach the finals.
- Under Hardik, Gujarat’s performance was almost similar to their 2022 campaign.
- The only difference was that they lost the final this time to Chennai, the team they beat to kick off their campaign on a high.
- Meanwhile, Hardik’s batting took a hit as he mustered 346 runs in the 2023 season, lower than the 487 runs he scored in the 2022 season.
Final Thoughts:
Hardik Pandya is surely worth the money. He is a brilliant all-rounder, and he is an excellent captain as well. The numbers prove it. If you take the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Gujarat had carbon-copy seasons.
In other words, we can say that Pandya, the skipper, remained consistent. In a competition like the IPL, maintaining your captaincy is definitely not easy.
During his initial days as captain, Hardik looked a little impulsive as he was seen shouting at his fellow player, but he managed to keep his emotions in check for most of the tournament.
In 2022, he batted at number four and managed to have a decent performance with 487 runs. Although he refrained from bowling.
Meanwhile, in 2023, his batting took a hit, but the player whom he groomed continued to perform and powered the team to the final, where they lost to CSK.
The likes of Gill, Sudarshan, Rashid, and Shami all performed at their peak, and this wouldn’t have been possible without Pandya, the skipper.