'Nice to have captain who trusts your skills': GT's star pacer lauds Pandya's captaincy; 'He always gives us confidence'

Gujarat Titans' star is enjoying his time under Hardik Pandya's leadership, saying that it was nice to play under a captain who “trusts your skills.”

Gujarat Titans registered their second successive win of the season as they defeated Delhi Capitals on Saturday. The Hardik Pandya-led side successfully defended a 172-run target, thanks to brilliant bowling performances from Lockie Ferguson (4/28), Mohammed Shami (2/30) and the captain himself (1/22), among others. Titans are currently third in the IPL 2022 table; yet to lose a game.

GT players during IPL 2022.(IPL)

Opener Shubman Gill was immense for the Titans as they slammed 84 off just 46 deliveries, steering the side to a strong score of 171/6 in 20 overs. New Zealand's Ferguson, then, ran through the Delhi Capitals' batting lineup after Pandya struck the opening breakthrough, dismissing Tim Seifert early in the innings.

Ferguson grabbed the key wickets of Prithvi Shaw (10), Mandeep Singh (18), Rishabh Pant (43), and Axar Patel (8), as the Capitals could never recover with the dismissals. He was also named the Player of the Match for his outstanding performance and during the post-match presentation, he lauded captain Hardik Pandya for showing faith in him.

"(It) was one of those nights and with the kind of bowling partners I have, makes things very easy for me. It's great (to have a potent bowling unit) and helps to spread calmness in the group. The pressure was coming from both ends with the ball and it worked for us. I think it (bowling extra fast) is more of an instinct thing," said Ferguson in a post-match presentation.

"There was a lot of bounce in the surface and I was looking to bang away on that hard length. Some gripped and it worked for me with Rishabh's wicket. Was a good all-around performance from the bowlers. Hardik is always giving us confidence to play the game that we want to play and it's nice to have a captain who trusts your skills," he added.

Titans have a four-day break before they return to action on April 8 against the Punjab Kings.