Watch: “Unique Sense of Self-Belief” — Former India coach praises Hardik Pandya after T20 World Cup 2026 win

Former Team India head coach Gary Kirsten spoke about working with star all-rounder Hardik Pandya during his time with the Gujarat Titans (GT). They had great success together, winning the title in their first season in 2022 and reaching the final again the next year.

Gary Kirsten was named GT’s mentor when the team was created, while Hardik Pandya was appointed captain. The team performed strongly in the league stage and finished at the top of the table, losing only four matches.

Kirsten also spoke about Hardik Pandya’s match-winning impact as a player and his honest and open personality off the field.

Watch the video here:

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Gary Kirsten Praises Hardik Pandya’s Leadership and All-Round Performance

"He has a unique sense of self-belief. When he came to us in 2022, Ashish appointed him as captain. At that time, he was in a strange phase of his career. He was in and out of the Indian team and needed to prove a point. Off the field, he is very quirky and a funny guy. He makes people laugh a lot. He has a very flamboyant personality. Sometimes it may seem like he does not care too much, but he actually does," Gary Kirsten told Wisden Cricket.

Hardik Pandya also played an important role for Team India in their recent T20 World Cup 2026victory. He scored 217 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 160.74 and also picked up nine wickets at an average of 32.33.

Gary Kirsten on Hardik Pandya’s Bowling Impact

After dealing with a chronic back injury, Hardik Pandya had to play only as a batter for a short time. However, he later increased his bowling workload and returned as a proper all-rounder. After not bowling in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, he bowled 30.3 overs in the 2022 season and has continued since then.

"We moved him up the order and he batted at No. 4 in that IPL season. He played some longer innings compared to what he usually does now. What impressed me the most was his ability to do special things with the ball. I will never forget that final in front of 120,000 people where he bowled four overs and took 3-17. That is Hardik," Gary Kirsten added.

Hardik Pandya was named Player of the Match in the IPL 2022 final, which Gujarat Titans won by seven wickets. In that match, he dismissed key Rajasthan Royals batters Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and Shimron Hetmyer.

The IPL 2022 season was very important for Hardik Pandya. He made a strong statement as both captain and player. He had earlier been dropped from the Indian team after the disappointing T20 World Cup 2021, with Venkatesh Iyer taking the pace all-rounder role.

However, Hardik made a strong comeback. He overcame his injuries, scored 487 runs with the bat, and picked up eight wickets with an economy rate of 7.27.