With a little over three weeks to go for the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, there is excitement in the air for the 16th season of the cash-rich T20 tournament. This year the clash between the defending champions Gujarat Titans and four-time winners Chennai Super Kings will get things underway at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 31.
Before the first match though, a couple of videos have surfaced online in which India captain Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Hardik Pandya can be seen shooting for the promo advertisement of the T20 competition.
Check out the videos here:
While Rohit is currently with the Indian team in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy where they need to win the fourth and the final Test match in Ahmedabad starting on March 09 in Ahmedabad, the Hitman will the miss the first ODI against Australia due to a family commitment.
In his absence, it will be Hardik Pandya who will lead the team with Rohit set to return to captain the side in the second and the third ODIs.
Contrasting seasons for Rohit and Hardik's teams in IPL 2022
Looking back at IPL 2022, it was a contrasting season for the two IPL captains. Rohit who is the most successful captain in the history of the tournament with 5 trophies to his name saw Mumbai Indians finish at the bottom of the table while Hardik, who had played under Rohit for his entire IPL career until last season, picked by Gujarat Titans, led them to glory in the team's first season in the competition.
While Hardik would want to repeat the kind of season they had last time around, Rohit will also bring his plethora of leadership experience to inspire his side to a better performance this season.