Hardik Pandya is all set to make his comeback on the field with the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) that will start on March 26 and take place across four venues in Mumbai and Pune.
Hardik was appointed as the team captain, which is owned by CVC Capital Partners.
On March 13, Pandya gave a sneak peek into what he would bring to the table as a captain during the franchise’s jersey launch ceremony at the team’s home venue—Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Hardik was heard saying in a video posted by the team’s official Twitter handle on Thursday that he wants to motivate the youngsters and will take a back seat when it comes to enjoying success.
“My philosophy for this season is that success is theirs and failure is mine,” Hardik said during the jersey launch event.
Speaking in a video posted on IPL’s Twitter handle, Hardik Pandya said,“I am quite happy with the team, it is a new team. To be honest, we are not here to prove anything, we are here to play good cricket. We are here to make sure the environment is right and players can flourish. There is no expectation as such, we are going to be a team which will make sure that it keeps improving.”
Meanwhile, the Gujarat Titans have already suffered a setback with the withdrawal of star opener Jason Roy from the tournament. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, an Afghan batsman who will be making his first appearance in the IPL, has been brought in to replace him.
The Gujarat Titans will begin their season on March 28 against the Lucknow Super Giants, who are also making their debut.