Hardik Pandya’s 87 not out off 52 balls not only helped his team to a win but also earned him the Man of the Match award on Thursday. The Gujarat Titans captain made it clear that he is enjoying batting at No.4 position.

“This innings is pretty special. A lot of hard work for me tonight... It was just cramps (after walking into the dugout in the middle of his third over), nothing serious. I am not used to batting this long. It gives me a lot of time. I can calculate and take risk,” said Pandya.

“The last game it did not come off well but today (Thursday) I made sure I did. I have been in this situation where I have taken the role of scoring a 12-ball 30. It is difficult but now at No.4 I can control the game. Captaincy is fun and it allows me to take responsibility and be the flag-bearer. My motto was I wanted everyone to be happy,” Hardik said after the 37-run win over Rajasthan Royals.

Lockie Ferguson too seemed pleased to have dismissed Jos Buttler for 54. “The way he was batting, there’s not a lot you can do when a guy’s batting that well. And then he lapped my first ball, so I had to change up something, fortunately got a little bit of drift, certainly happy to see the back of him.

“It came out nicely and was glad to see the stumps light up. Throughout the IPL, thousands of batters can get on top of the game like him but he’s certainly right at the top and one of the best.

“When a guy is batting like that, there’s not a lot you can do. You got to get into defensive mode. The way Yash (Dayal) bowled upfront, I actually thought he bowled pretty well, but you just saw the class of Jos there. It was nice to see the back of him for sure,” said the New Zealand fast bowler, who finished with 3/23 from his four overs.

Momentum matters

Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson gave credit to the Gujarat batsmen. “Hardik played well and (David) Miller finished off well. If we had wickets in hand, the target was chaseable. We had the power and potential,” Samson, who was dismissed for 11, said.

Samson rued the absence of Trent Boult the New Zealander in the Royals’ ranks. “It was a freaky niggle and we missed Boult’s experience in the Powerplay. Hopefully he’ll be back soon.

“Hardik had a great day today. I have played enough of IPL to understand that each game is crucial and it is important to learn the lesson and come back stronger. The momentum matters,” he added.

Samson justified their change in batting order. “A lot of thought process has gone behind the batting order. I was batting at No. 3 but we felt I should come lower down and be flexible. I am happy to bat anywhere and depends on the team’s demands.”