IPL 2023We deserve to be in the qualifiers, says GT captain Hardik Pandya after their win vs SRH

By India Today Sports DeskGujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya has said that his side deserves to be in the qualifiers of IPL 2023. GT beat SunRisers Hyderabad by 34 runs to become the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season.

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Speaking after their win, Pandya said he is very proud of their performance, while adding that they deserve to be in the qualifiers. GT have amassed 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 will be lot of challenges. The way the boys have shown their character and put their hand up in difficult situations, we deserve to be in the qualifiers,” said Pandya.

He went on to say that no team could run through them this season, insisting that the team has focused where they needed to. Gt posted 188 for 9 in the first innings and restricted the visitors to 154 for 9, winning the game by 34 runs.

“I spoke with my boys we know where we stand and there will be expectations for us to show what we’ve got. We have ticked a lots of boxes, have made some errors as well. I don’t think any team could run through us this season. The guys have focused where they needed to and that’s why we stand here,” Pandya added.

Pandya said he is a bowler’s captain and makes sure that the bowlers get their credit. Both Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma picked up four wickets each as GT cruised to their ninth win of the season.

“Bowlers are close to my heart. Batters take the credit generally but couple of overs and couple of wickets can be important so I am a bowler’s captain and make sure they get the credit which they sometimes don’t get,” said Pandya.

Following their win against SRH, GT will turn their attention towards their final group-stage match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on May 21.