Read what Hardik Pandya says about MS Dhoni before qualifier 1

MS Dhoni Chennai Super Kings (CSK) facing defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 on Tuesday, hoping to reach their tenth final.

Former champions Chennai Super Kings, the most consistent team in IPL playoff history, aim for a record-equaling fifth crown in the T20 tournament’s 16th season.

The Yellow Brigade, captained by MS Dhoni, is facing reigning champions GT, led by all-rounder Hardik Pandya, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Gujarat is playing against Dhoni’s CSK for the first time at Chepauk in the prestigious competition. Pandya, who is good friends with Dhoni, made a fascinating observation about the dynamic commander of the Yellow Brigade.

Dhoni, known for his cool demeanour, is widely considered one of the finest captains in cricket history. In a clip uploaded on social media by Gujarat Titans before CSK’s match against GT, Pandya professed his admiration for the two-time World Cup-winning captain.

“I’ll always be a Mahendra Singh Dhoni fan for so many other fans and cricket fans out there.” You have to be a true devil to despise Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

A lot of people believe Mahi is serious and all that. For me, I crack jokes, and I don’t view him as the next Mahendra Singh Dhoni. “I’ve learned a lot from him, a lot of positive things, which I’ve learned from him just by watching, not even much talking,” Pandya added.

“For me, he’s just a dear friend, a dear brother, with whom I play pranks and chill,” added Pandya, who led GT to IPL gold in their inaugural season last year. Pandya led the Ahmedabad-based franchise to the business end of the top event in their title-defending season in 2023.

Pandya and the company topped the IPL 2023 standings for the second consecutive season. This season, the Gujarat Titans won 10 of their 14 games. Pandya, an all-rounder, made 289 runs for GT in the IPL 2023 league stage.

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