Ahead of the crunch Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 Qualifier 1 game against four-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Hardik Pandya paid a heartfelt homage to MS Dhoni. Hardik called Dhoni his 'dear friend' and affirmed that only a devil can hate the CSK captain.
"I'll always be a Mahendra Singh Dhoni fan and for so many fans out there and so many cricket lovers. You need to be a proper devil to hate Mahendra Singh Dhoni," said Pandya in a video posted by Gujarat Titans on social media.
Defending champions GT ended the regular season as the best team in the competition. Hardik Pandya's men topped the points table by winning 10 out of their 14 matches. Four-time champions CSK finished in second with 17 points in their bag after winning eight out of the 14 matches they played.
Now, the two teams whose leaders share a close bond off the field will be against each other in a box-office clash on Tuesday. Hardik has always been vocal when it comes to applauding the contribution of Dhoni towards his development over the years.
The Indian all-rounder spoke about his friendship with the former India skipper and also debunked the myth that Dhoni, one of the most successful India captains, was a serious person.
"A lot of people think Mahi is serious and all that. For me, I crack jokes and I don't see him as a Mahendra Singh Dhoni," Hardik added.
"Obviously, I've learnt a lot of things from him, a lot of positive things, which I've learnt from him just while watching, not even much talking.
"For me, he's just my dear friend, dear brother, who I do pranks, who I chill," said Pandya, who would be aiming to retain the IPL title the team won last year by defeating Rajasthan Royals.
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