'He is a four-dimensional player now' - Ex-India stumper lauds Hardik Pandya after his memorable IPL 2022

Hardik Pandya made heads turn in IPL 2022, where he led the Gujarat Titans (GT) to their maiden title in their first-ever edition. Ahead of the season, all eyes were on the star Indian all-rounder as he was set to mark his return to competitive cricket after a long time and his fitness levels were set to be examined by many.

However, Hardik rose to the occasion and fulfilled the role of a batter, bowler, whereas he did exceedingly well as a first-time captain in IPL. With the bat, Hardik amassed 487 runs -- his best tally in a season -- and claimed eight wickets, with three of them coming in the final, before leading GT to their maiden title. Thus, former Indian stumper Kiron More heaped praise on him and called him a four-dimensional player.

"The best moment for me in IPL 15 was the way Gujarat Titans played cricket. It was outstanding. And especially with Hardik becoming a captain and lifting the trophy, his personal performance was equally brilliant. Going from Mumbai Indians to Gujarat Titans, it’s not that easy to go and lead the new team and straightaway win the championship," More told SG podcast.

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Recalling Hardik’s early days as a cricketer, More, who represented India in 49 Tests and 94 ODIs, claimed, "He wanted to play the sport. Krunal Pandya (his elder brother) had joined my academy, and Hardik used to hang around. He used to keep running behind the nets and catching the ball. That is when I told Krunal to bring him to nets as well, and that’s when I saw hunger in his eyes."

"For me, Hardik was a young kid who wanted to perform all the time. I now believe he is a four-dimensional player now. Earlier, he was a three-dimensional player because he was a bowler, batter, and fielder, but now he is captain as well. So, you feel proud that you have such a talented cricketer on the national side," More added.

Hardik will now shift his focus to the forthcoming India-South Africa T20I series at home. It will also mark his return to the Team India set up after the 2021 T20 World Cup. In Rohit Sharma's absence, KL Rahul will lead the 18-member squad.