Super Giants, led by his brother Krunal, in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Despite the win, Hardik refused to claim bragging rights over his brother, who took charge of LSG after regular captain K.L. Rahul withdrew from the IPL with an injury.
The match saw a scintillating batting display from Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill followed by a four-wicket haul by Mohit Sharma that propelled Gujarat Titans to a huge win. Saha and Gill built a massive 142-run partnership and dominated the proceedings with fearless hitting as Gujarat Titans posted an imposing total of 227/2 in their 20 overs.
In reply, LSG got off to a decent start with a 63-run opening stand between Kyle Mayers and Quinton de Kock. However, Mohit Sharma led the way with the ball, and with the help of the spin duo of Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan, Gujarat Titans were able to restrict LSG to 171/6 in their 20 overs, thus securing a comprehensive win.
During the post-match presentation ceremony, Hardik Pandya spoke about the love between the Pandya brothers being too strong to be affected by the win or loss in the match. He added that he would have been happier if things had gotten closer and Krunal had some bragging rights too.
Krunal echoed similar sentiments, stating that he did not dream of captaining his side in IPL or facing his brother, but the family was happy nonetheless. He further stated that there was a lot of love between him and Hardik, and while there was some leg-pulling, it only lasted a couple of minutes.
The win takes Gujarat Titans to the second spot in the IPL 2023 points table, while LSG remain at the sixth spot with four wins in 11 matches.