Picture Credit: Twitter
Hardik Pandya, the skipper of the reigning champions Gujarat Titans has led the team to the qualifiers for the second time in the row. They became the first team to secure their berth in the top four of the season, followed by Chennai Super Kings. Both the teams line up to play Qualifier 1 of the season on May 23, Tuesday at the home of the four-time IPL winners. However, ahead of the big clash, the skipper of the IPL 2022 winners, Hardik Pandya expressed his fondness with the two-time World Cup-winning skipper, who is probably playing his last IPL this year.
In a video posted by Gujarat Titans ahead of the CSK vs GT game, Pandya was seen hearing about the camaraderie he shared with the Ranchi-born cricketer and said that he shares a wonderful bond with him. In his words, "A lot of people think Mahi is serious and all that. For me, I crack jokes, and I don't see him as Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Obviously, I've learned a lot of things from him, a lot of positive things, which I've learnt from him just while watching, not even much talking. For me, he's just my dear friend, dear brother, who I do pranks, who I chill."
Watch the video here:
Talking about his fandom for the 41-year-old, he said, “I’ll always be a Mahendra Singh Dhoni fan, and for so many fans out there and so many cricket lovers, you need to be a devil to hate Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Leading their team in the second consecutive season, Pandya guided GT to a classic ending, and the Ahmedabad-based franchise ended up securing top spot in the IPL 2023 standings. On the flip side, the former Indian team captain, MS Dhoni led the Yellow Brigade to secure eight wins in the season and occupying second spot on the table. Both teams are set to clash against each other in the first qualifier of the season on May 23, Tuesday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.