Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is all set to embark on a new journey as the skipper of new IPL franchise Gujarat Titans. 

The former Mumbai Indians star will begin the new chapter in his IPL career against another debutant Lucknow Super Giants, with his best friend KL Rahul leading their charge.

Many believe that the IPL 2022 could be a make or break for the all-rounder who has been out of action since last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE.  

After a disappointing campaign, the 28-year-old made himself unavailable for the next few international series and focussed on his complete rehabilitation.

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Ahead of their opening encounter, the Ahmedabad-based outfit shared a video on their social media channels where Hardik can be seen addressing the franchise’s supporters and making some tall promises using huge adjectives. 

Hardik has no prior experience of leading a side, be it in IPL or domestic cricket but he wishes to emulate the success of his “brother” MS Dhoni.

Goosebumps on our debut day, courtesy captain @hardikpandya7 pic.twitter.com/2qdwn5FKrc

— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) March 28, 2022

“That sweet lofty spot, where grit lives with the grind, labour leads to luck. It is a range that my brother (MS Dhoni) has scaled and I have made no attempts to hide that I want to emulate him. It’s a place that my hero (Sachin Tendulkar) has owned and told me stories of how he got there,” Hardik said in the video. 

“It is a journey which will pit me sometimes against my sibling, my soulmate and many of my closest friends. And like every flight, this too may have turbulence. But hey, look at me. If I have survived being in a national storm, a ban, a gruelling back injury and more, I know what it takes,” he added.

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The majority of the video shows the all-rounder harping about his own achievements in the IPL over the years. At one point, he even says that “I just know that when I walk in with a bat in my hand, my opponents get tiny little chills in their spine knowing that I can pull off a heist from anywhere.”

The fans obviously had mixed feelings about the video, with some terming his comments as confidence while others describing it as ‘overconfidence’ and ‘arrogance’. But according to Hardik, it’s his ‘confidence’ and ‘flamboyance’ nothing else.

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Some fans summed this video as “cringe” which gets from bad to worse. “It’s a cringe which increases as the video passes,” wrote an unhappy user.

After watching Hardik’s performance in the video, a fan was convinced that the GT skipper had worked really hard during his time away from the field, not on his cricket but his acting skills.

True

— THOR RAGNORK $QOM (@bigwindeep) March 28, 2022

To much of flattering himself let's wait and see ..... https://t.co/YNEWW3bnOl

— RëjîťH (@Rejith__Nair) March 28, 2022

It’s a cringe which increases as the video passes

— Zak (@Zak76398827) March 28, 2022

Just see this video you probably know that how much overconfidence he has attitude ka baap.... https://t.co/TrovgJk3p5

— Hit Man_45 (@elegant_45) March 28, 2022

My opinion - I don’t expect everyone to be down to earth like Sachin,MS,Rohit but you need to score 6-7k runs before passing out messages like “chill in the spine for bowlers”.Being confident is good but this is just over the top.I hope Hardik has a good season for our WC next yr https://t.co/NYonkc9OnC

— sharat (@sherry1111111) March 28, 2022

Whether it’s Hardik’s confidence or arrogance, the picture will be clear at the end of the season.

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