I will always be bowlers' captain and ensure they get due credit: Hardik Pandya

Courtesy of their terrific win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing IPL 2023, Gujarat Titans have cemented their position as one of the four teams to qualify for the IPL playoffs. Against the Aiden Markram-led side on May 15, GT pacers Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma once again wreaked havoc, picking up four wickets each to help the table toppers win the match by 34 runs.

Speaking about their performance, skipper Hardik Pandya stated that he is very happy with how everyone in the team stepped up and contributed in difficult situations and also mentioned that they have ticked a lot of boxes so far in the competition and will now try to stay consistent towards the fag end of the tournament.

“Very proud of the boys, two in two (making it to the playoffs twice in a row). The boys put their hands up and in challenging situations and we rightly deserve the playoff spot. There will be expectations and for me it was important to focus within the group. We ticked a lot of good boxes, we made a lot of errors but we were always there in the game and tried to stay consistent,” Hardik said in the post-match presentation.

Meanwhile speaking about their bowling performance so far in the competition, Pandya mentioned that the bowlers are very close to his heart and he will always be a bowler’s captain.

“Bowlers are very close to my heart. Sometimes batters take a lot of credit, for me, I will always be a bowler's captain and ensure they get due credit they very much deserve,” Hardik added.

Meanwhile, following a heart-breaking defeat, SRH are officially out of the IPL playoffs race. They however have two games left and will be desperate to finish on a higher note when they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 18 and Mumbai Indians on May 21. On the other hand, Gujarat Titans will be playing their last league game against the Faf du Plessis-led side on May 21 at Chinnaswamy Stadium.