The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 is reaching its business end with the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans playing Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals in the Qualifier 1 in Kolkata on Tuesday. The winner of the contest will directly move to the final. Ahead of the playoffs, former Indian cricket team player Virender Sehwag gave his take on the four teams which have qualified for the playoffs. The batting great also picked his favourite captain from the teams’ performance in the league stage. Surprisingly, Sehwag picked someone who did not have any captaincy experience before the IPL 2022.

“One captain who has impressed me the most is Hardik Pandya. I did not expect Hardik Pandya to do such a wonderful captaincy. The way he used to bat, I thought he will be similarly aggressive with his captaincy too. He did not do that. He was cool and calm,” Sehwag said in an interview to Cricbuzz.

“I am not saying this because his team won so many matches or because Ashish Nehra is my friend. When do you like someone’s captaincy? It happens when, during crucial moments, you take crucial decisions especially while your team is bowling. The changes that you do in bowling or fielding which yields results. During pressure situations, he has been calm and that’s why I have liked his captaincy.”

Meanwhile, former New Zealand and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Daniel Vettori has said that Sanju Samson’s team holds a slight edge over Hardik Pandya’s GT because of the presence of three seasoned bowlers who could use their experience on a big match day.

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“I love the Ashwin-Chahal combination, I think that gives Rajasthan something special through the middle. So, I think Rajasthan are just a little bit in front because of those two and Trent Boult. There’s nothing to take away from the Gujarat bowling line-up but I think Rajasthan just have the edge,” Vettori said on ESPNCricinfo’s T20 Timeout Show.

Chahal leads the Purple Cap race with 26 wickets from 14 matches so far. Trent Boult has accounted for 13 scalps in as many matches while Prasidh Krishna has picked up 15 wickets in 14 matches so far for the franchise.