"There might be burden this year" - Sanjay Manjrekar on GT skipper Hardik Pandya replicating last year's success in IPL 2023

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar has discussed Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya's captaincy exploits ahead of IPL 2023. Manjrekar reckons the all-rounder might find himself under pressure, with the Titans starting as the defending champions.

GT took a gamble and appointed Hardik as the skipper of the franchise last year, with the 29-year-old repaying the faith. He guided the Titans to the IPL trophy in their debut season as they beat the Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in the final.

He also finished as the side's highest run-scorer last year with 487 runs in 15 games.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo's Timeout, Manjrekar reflected that Hardik's form has been great, with his bowling getting even better. While he recognizes the burden of expectations, he trusts the ace all-rounder to handle it.

"If we talk as a player, there is no difference between now and his IPL 2022 form. We have seen him playing for India. He might not have made big scores, but the way he is hitting the ball, he looks in form. Hardik's bowling has become even better and his fielding has always been excellent.

"Captaincy would be interesting to talk about because he had nothing to lose last year as Gujarat Titans gambled by making him captain. However, there might be burden this year. Although I don't see him getting affected by it, but we'll have to see."

Since winning the title for the Titans, the Baroda-born cricketer has captained India in a handful of limited-overs games. He recently led the Men in Blue in an ODI against Australia in Mumbai, with India winning the game convincingly.

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"Not a big fan of resting players during IPL" - Sanjay Manjrekar

Indian cricket team. (Credits: Getty)

When asked whether India's first-choice players should be rested for a few IPL games ahead of the ODI World Cup on home soil later this year, the former Indian batter said the T20 competition deserves special status and there's no need to rest cricketers for the same.

"IPL's success can happen only when players are fit and they play with all their heart. It is a popular tournament among the fans. I'm not a big fan of resting players during IPL to keep them fresh during the World Cup because injuries can happen in international games too.

"Hence, players shouldn't have restrictions during IPL and owners should have complete freedom to use their players, given they spend massive amounts of money. IPL needs to be given a special status."

Gujarat Titans will start their IPL 2023 campaign against the Chennai Super Kings on Friday, March 31.