IPL 2022 Final: 'Hardik Pandya is prepared to take the fight on' - GT Team Director Vikram Solanki

Gujarat Titans have fared well under Hardik Pandya, entering the IPL 2022 Final. Meanwhile, Vikram Solanki has affirmed that Pandya is ready to take the fight on.

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New team Gujarat Titans (GT) has stunned the fans, having generated commendable and consistent performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. As a result, it has reached the IPL 2022 final, where it takes on former champion Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Also, it is interesting that it has all happened under the leadership of Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who made his IPL captaincy debut this season and was coming off a rough patch. On the same note, GT Team Director Vikram Solanki has affirmed that Pandya is ready to take the fight on.

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Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Solanki framed, "For me, it was very apparent that right from the outset, when we spoke to him about the captaincy, he [Pandya] was enthused by it. He was somebody who's a passionate cricketer. He plays cricket in an entertaining way that is contagious in its style itself because it is confident. He is prepared to take the fight on."

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"To some extent, about the point of encouraging people not to be afraid of making mistakes if something hasn't gone right, he's certainly giving his time in that sense. He's been giving the experience in that sense. He [Pandya] has the poise that is typical of winners. He's somebody who has been through a great deal in his life, both as a cricketer and person. And, he uses all of those experiences to sort of lead the way he does. He was very adamant that he wanted to do an outstanding job," added Solanki.

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On being asked about the reason for success for GT in IPL 2022 so far, Solanki believed that it all depended on "three pillars". He also asserted that the team was confident moving into the final, which would be played in front of its home crowd, with more than 1,00,000 spectators cheering for it.

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"We have three pillars to our culture. Work hard, play smart cricket, and we accept that we will make mistakes. I think we take confidence in the way we play our cricket. Take confidence in the way we've practised. Take confidence that this group has been in pressure situations before and has gotten over the line from nowhere. It is our first final. We have the opportunity to do something special," Solanki concluded.