Hardik Showed Faith In All Those Players Whom Nobody Believed In: Saha
Mumbai: GT wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha said his team’s captain Hardik Pandya showed faith in all those players whom “nobody” believed in.
Wriddhiman Shah who went unsold on day 1 of the IPL mega auction, was picked up by Gujarat Titans for ₹1.9 crores on the second day of the auction.
However, Shah was not the first-choice wicketkeeper for GT. It was Matthew Wade of Australia who played the first few matches. But after failing to impress the left-hander, GT skipper Hardik Pandya went to Saha and asked the veteran cricketer to bat alongside Shubman Gill.
After not playing the first five league matches, Saha scored 317 runs for GT in 11 matches, including three half-centuries. After GT won the IPL in his very first attempt, Saha credited Hardik Pandya for his turnaround and said that he can ‘never forget his contribution’ in bringing back his confidence.
“Hardik showed faith in all those players who were released by the different franchises, whom nobody believed in. I was unsold (on day 1 of the mega auction), and was not getting chances in the beginning. Then he came and said I need to take the responsibility of an opener. I got my confidence back. He provided me with a stage to prove myself. Can never forget his contribution. I tried my best to repay his faith. In fact, everybody in the team fulfilled their duties, that’s what you need to become a champion side,” Saha told Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika.
The 37-year-old said that he has seen a big change in Hardik. Giving details about Hardik’s leadership skills, Saha said that Hardik knows how to handle everyone with care. He didn’t lose his cool even when he made a mistake on the field.
“Hardik knows how to manage a team. The job of a captain is to connect with everyone and understand their game, Hardik had no shortage of that. He has gone through a sea change. He used to be restless earlier but has changed completely now. He never lost his cool on the field, always showed faith in everyone,” Saha added.
Saha said his job was to provide as many good starts as possible to the side in IPL.
“A captain will always be happy when the openers perform. The biggest thing was, that he believed in me. Hardik used to say if we don’t get off to good starts in multiple matches then it will put the dugout under a lot of pressure. So, my job was to get the team off to a good start,” he added.
Follow us on Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook for the latest updates and exciting stories.
