by India Today Sports DeskGujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya has said that his team deserves a place in the IPL 2023 qualifiers. GT beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 34 runs Will become the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season.
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Speaking after their win, Pandya said that he was very proud of their performance, while also adding that they deserved to be in the qualifiers. GT have earned 18 points from 13 matches and are guaranteed a top-two spot in the group stage.
“Very proud of the boys. 2 in 2 Last year was very different. This year we knew there would be a lot of challenges. The way the boys have shown their character and raised their hand in difficult situations, we deserve to be in the qualifiers,” said Pandya.
He said that no team can run through him this season, insisting that the team has focused where they were needed. GT scored 188 for 9 in the first innings and restricted the visitors to 154 for 9 and won the match by 34 runs.
“I spoke with my boys, we know where we stand and will expect to show what we have. We’ve checked a lot of boxes, made a few mistakes too. I don’t think any team can beat this. May overtake us in the season. People have focused where they were needed and that’s why we stand here,” Pandya said.
Pandya said that he is the captain of the bowlers and makes sure that the credit goes to the bowlers. Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma both took four wickets each as GT registered their ninth win of the season.
“Bowlers are close to my heart. Usually batsmen take the credit but a few overs and a few wickets can be crucial so I am the captain of the bowlers and make sure they get the credit they sometimes don’t get.”
After their win against SRH, GT will turn their attention to their final group-stage match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 21 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.