IPL 2022: Hardik Pandya - Captaincy allows me to take responsibility

Some players will be weighed down by the burden of captaining a cricket outfit Some others get the extra kick out of itIn his brief stint as captain of the new IPL franchise Gujarat Titans Hardik Pandya has relished the extra responsibility as he showed in such a splendid manner against Rajasthan Royals on Thursday at the DY Patil StadiumPandya seen as a finisher in the T20 format ever since he burst on the scene has batted at number four this IPL season and he said he enjoyed captaining the TitanslsquoNot just a finisher nowrsquoldquoCaptaincy is fun and it allows me to take responsibility and be the flagbearerrdquo said Pandya at the post match presentation after piloting his team to a matchwinning total of 192 for four by making 87 not out in 52 ballsPandya who came in when the Titans were stuttering at 152 and then saw another wicket fall soon after the end of Powerplay put on a crucial partnership for the fourth wicket worth 86 with Abhinav Manohar 43Pandya who smashed eight fours and four sixes then upped the tempo in concert with his fifth wicket partner David Miller 31 not out in 14 balls to enable his side post an imposing total which could not be chased down by the Royals who were stopped at 155 for 9 despite a 24ball 54 by inform opener Jos ButtlerTitans won by 37 runs and zoomed to the top of the table with eight points from five matchesNot to be done after his fireworks with the bat Pandya ran out his rival number Sanju Samson with a direct hit at the stumps and also picked up the wicket of Jimmy Neesham to easily walk away with the man of the match awardldquoPretty special feeling A lot of hard work for me tonightrdquo said Pandya who had an attack of cramps tooldquoI am not used to batting this long It batting at four gives me a lot of time I can calculate and take risk The last game it did not come off but today Thursday I made sure I did I have been in this situation where I have taken the role of scoring 12ball 30 It is difficult but now at four I can control the gamerdquo he notedSamson credits TitansSamson gave full credit to the Titans and said a clutch of wickets at the start of the chase upset the Royalsrsquo chances in the postmatch media conferenceldquoWe lost the game at the start right after Powerplay when we lost too many wickets Jos Buttler gave us a great start But twothree wickets went right after Powerplay We lost themomentum there But you need to give credit to Gujarat Titans for the way they battedrdquo said the wicketkeeperbatsmanRoyals lost the wickets of Ravichandran Ashwin promoted to number three and Buttler in the same over from speedster Lockie Ferguson the last of the Powerplay Soon afterwards they Samson was run out to a brilliant pick up and throw by Pandya