IPL 2024: ‘No Hardik To Tell Bowlers What To Do’, S Sreesanth On Gujarat Titans Under Shubman Gill’s Captaincy

Sreesanth believes Gujarat Titans players will be having more freedom under Shubman Gill's captaincy.

New Delhi: Gujarat Titans made an astonishing start to their journey of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League under the leadership of Shubman Gill after a big win over Mumbai Indians in their opening match of IPL 2024 in Ahmedabad. Now they will be facing Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a rematch of the IPL 2023 final.

Gujarat have had a change of guard ahead of IPL 2024 after Hardik Pandya left for Mumbai Indians. Shubman Gill has taken over the charge and did everything well as he led GT to victory.

As the teams gear up for the key clash, Fancode’s “The Super Over” caught up with Indian cricket legend and winner of the ICC T20 and Cricket World Cup, S.Sreesanth for his thoughts about the match-up. Having won three out of the last five encounters, Gujarat will look to carry on their form in this matchup and redeem themselves after last year’s final loss against CSK.

Speaking about the existing dynamics within the Gujarat Titans team in the absence of Hardik Pandya, Sreesanth highlighted how a new captain in Gill alongside the experience of Ashish Nehra and Gary Kirsten will allow the Gujarat Titans to flourish.

Aptly highlighting the significance of having senior players step up, he also spoke about how the bowlers need to be given freedom in execution and responsibility to do their task saying, “There is no Hardik in Gujarat to tell the bowlers what to bowl,” Sreesanth said, referring to last year’s final and Pandya’s discussion with Mohit Sharma before the final delivery. “Sometimes you need to give the bowler that freedom to bowl. This time the captain is Gill, and I’m sure Ashish bhai (Ashish Nehra) will say let them bowl. Bowlers will also take responsibility with a young captain and sometimes, this is the advantage of having a young captain,” Sreesanth was quoted as saying in a release on Tuesday.

Speaking of the Chennai Super Kings, Sreesanth openly spoke about his admiration for his former India captain M.S. Dhoni, saying “You don’t need anyone else in the team, you just need Mahi.”

Delving into his personal experiences with the legendary cricketer and recollecting their days at the Indian Airlines team, Sreesanth painted a portrait of Dhoni as a natural leader and a magnet for players seeking guidance.

He also emphasised Dhoni’s unique ability to provide simple yet profound solutions to complex situations, encapsulated in his signature one-liners. Citing instances where Dhoni’s influence has had a transformative effect on players’ careers, he spoke about Ajinkya Rahane’s resurgence and Shivam Dubey’s changed mindset as instances of Dhoni’s leadership and management.