'The calmness that he brings into the team is reminiscent of MSD' - Sunil Gavaskar draws comparison between Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni

Mohit Sharma took a fifer as Gujarat Titans defeated Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2023 by 62 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday, May 26 to clinch a spot in the final against MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings on Sunday, May 28.

Shubman Gill blasted the MI bowlers on the way to his third IPL century of the season as Gujarat Titans produced 233/3 batting first. Gill, who batted like he was in a great nick, scored his century in 49 balls and culminated with 129 runs, with seven fours and ten sixes.

India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar mentioned how the Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Hardik Pandya has been very amused by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni. Gavaskar further mentioned that during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 final, Hardik has a great opportunity to demonstrate how rapidly he has learnt the nuances of captaincy.

"He (Hardik) has been very open about his admiration and affection for MSD, just like all those who have followed MSD's career. When they go out to the toss, they will be very friendly and smiling all that. But when it comes to the match, it will be a completely different atmosphere. It's a very good opportunity for Hardik Pandya to show how quickly he has learned," the 73-year-old told Star Sports.

The calmness that he brings into the team is reminiscent of MSD: Gavaskar

"When he was captaining for the first time last year, nobody knew what to expect because he has been one of the most exciting and excitable cricketers as well. But that excitable part, we have seen over the last year. The calmness that he brings into the team is reminiscent of MSD. This is a happy team, which is exactly what we see with CSK as well. Hardik has to take a lot of credit for that," he added further.

GT will take on CSK in the IPL 2023 final on Sunday, May 28 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Gujarat Titans confirmed their place in the final for the second time in a row after defeating the Mumbai Indians by 62 runs in Qualifier 2 on Friday. Chennai prevailed over GT by 15 runs in Qualifier 1 and advanced to their 10th IPL final.