IPL 2023: Hardik Pandya reveals how wife Natasa motivated him to take up GT captaincy

Hardik Pandya, who has had an image of an easy-going fun cricketer, led his team Gujarat Titans (GT) to their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title in their debut season last year. But how did this change in Pandya’s career come about?

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The all-rounder shared how he made up his mind to take up the captaincy and how his wife, Natasa Stankovic, motivated him to take up the leadership role, on the web show GK meets GT.

“My wife said it’s a great opportunity for you to show exactly what you are. People don’t know your cricketing side. People think you are just a guy who’s playing, having fun. But people don’t know how much you know this sport. You are a nerd. But a different-looking nerd,” Pandya said while recalling his conversation about the GT captaincy offer with Natasa.

Read | Astute planning, masterly implementation — how GT won IPL on debut

He was approached with the offer by the GT coach Ashish Nehra, whom Hardik is close to, and he took his time to commit.

“I was at that stage where I really wanted to play with a person who has known me. Because I have always found people who have known me have a different perspective than those who have never come across me or are close to me.

“So when I got the opportunity to go play with someone I know I was very keen. So when Ashu pa called and said I’m going to be the coach. I told him Ashu pa if you were not there I’d never have considered this thing. You are one person who has understood what I am. I am actually very simple to work with. Those who know me know what I am. He comes in those categories who has always found the right side of me… We had a very good chat.

“So I decided let me think about it. Moments after cutting the call he dropped me a message saying, ‘if you are ready I would like you to take the captaincy.’ Which was for me a surprise. I did not expect that. I have never been a person who has ran behind anything. If it’s come to me great. If it hasn’t it hasn’t.”



Talking about the perceptions that were abuzz about him and how they reflected on Nehra’s decision to make Hardik the GT captain, he recalled thinking that people would wonder if they were putting together a “gully team”.

He likened both of them (Hardik and Nehra) to a pair of scientists who were doing a crazy experiment.

“I think we are both unusual scientists,” he said.

However, we all saw last year how well did the experiment play out with a cricketer beaten down by perceptions leading a new team to win their very first tournament that many established teams with handsome playing orders are still struggling to win after 14 years.

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