India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who will be leading the Gujarat Titans in the upcoming IPL 2022 season, has said that they are not in the tournament to prove anything and the side's major focus will be on creating an environment where players can flourish.
Ever since making his first appearance in the IPL in 2015, Pandya had represented Mumbai Indians in the cash-reach league. However, he wasn't retained by Mumbai before the mega auction.
The star all-rounder was picked by the Titans via the draft and has been named the captain of the Gujarat-based franchise.
"I was just spending time with my family, working hard as always. (I'm) making sure I prepare well. I'm quite happy with the team. It is a new team and to be honest, we are not here to prove anyone anything. We are here to play good cricket. We are here to make sure that the environment is right for the players to flourish in their own capacity," Pandya said on Friday in a snippet posted by the official Twitter account of the Indian Premier League.
"There's no expectation as such. We are going to be a team that makes sure it keeps improving," he added.
Gujarat Titans will begin their IPL 2022 campaign with the clash against fellow tournament debutants Lucknow Super Giants -- led by KL Rahul -- on March 28 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The side is currently training at their home ground, the Narendra Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad.
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(Published 18 March 2022, 22:28 IST)
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