'Gave Me The Biggest Headache...': Ex-England Coach's Big Statement On Hardik Pandya

Journey of the defending champions Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 has been like a roller coaster ride so far. The Hardik Pandya-led side has played five matches and lost two of them. Their first defeat came against Kolkata Knight Riders while the other one came against Rajasthan Royals. Skipper Hardik Pandya, who left everyone impressed with his leadership skills and performance in the last edition, is yet to deliver a promising innings this year. However, former England all-rounder Paul Collingwood praised the India all-rounder and called him a "rockstar". 

Collingwood also revealed that Pandya has given him a lot of headaches during his tenure as the England coach. 

"Hardik Pandya is a rockstar and one of the most entertaining players. He leads from the front. He's given me the biggest headache as England coach when we played against India. He's someone who can change the complexion of the game with his performance and that's what makes him a threat to any opposition," said Collingwood on Star Sports Cricket Live.

Hardik had a very mediocre outing in the tournament so far as he has scored only 49 runs in four matches. Apart from this, he has been able to scalp just one wicket. 

Gujarat Titans are all set to face Lucknow Super Giants in their upcoming IPL 2023 clash on Saturday, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. 

While the Titans will look to start afresh after the three-wicket loss to the Rajasthan Royals, LSG got a confidence-boosting 10-run win against the Sanju Samson-led side to climb to the second spot in the points table. 

Both teams have been a tad inconsistent this season, losing two games each although the Titans have played a match less than LSG. The Titans, who are fourth in the league table, have struggled to defend totals this season.

The Titans, however, may have a slight psychological edge having defeated the Super Giants on both occasions last season.

(With PTI Inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Gujarat Titans Lucknow Super Giants England Cricket Team Hardik Pandya KL Rahul Paul Collingwood IPL 2023 Cricket