New to leadership duties, premier Indian allrounder Hardik Pandya opened up on his approach to captaincy, stating that he wants to be someone who is always available for his players and give them a sense of “freedom and security”.
Having seen the likes of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma work from close quarters through his time in the Indian team and in the Premier League, Hardik had previously mentioned he will pick up things from them and come up with his own style of captaincy.
The 28-year-old added that the idea of providing players security is to be around them when they need their skipper the most. He also promised he will let them enjoy their best days but will be the first one to provide support when things aren’t falling as per the plan.
“I want to give my players freedom and security, and allow them to express themselves. I will be one of those who may not be there with them on their good days but I will be there to back them and make sure they are in the right frame of mind on days where they need it the most,”
Pandya said.
Since the end of the auction, there have been concerns around certain aspects of the Titans’ squad and how that may unfold on the field. But Hardik said that would be the case with every team and ultimately, it is about performing on the field. He called the squad Titans have put up “tremendous” with a wealth of experience across departments.
On the personal front, the 2022 campaign is a comeback assignment for Hardik, who hasn’t played competitive cricket since the end of the T20 World Cup in November 2021. The cricketer had been working on his body with the main aim to regain his bowling fitness after feeling the effects of a longstanding back injury.
Titans begin their campaign on March 28 against fellow new entrants Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
