"He's been the man I can rely on," Hardik reveals his most trusted player

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya named Rashid Khan as his go-to man when things start to get tricky and the situation becomes challenging.

The defending champions (GT) made their way into the second successive final after registering a comfortable 62-run victory against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 Qualifier 2 on Friday at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Gujarat on Friday.

While Shubman Gill stole the show with his scintillating knock of 129 in the first innings, the Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan maintained the flow of the game in GT's favour by weaving magic with his spin bowling.

Rashid picked up two crucial wickets of Tilak Verma and Tim David to ensure GT's grip on the game. After the match, Hardik reflected on the trust he has in the spinner.

"(On Rashid) I think we've spoken enough about him. He's been the man I can rely on when the team is in a tough situation," Pandya said after the match.

GT skipper also went on to laud Gill for his impressive performance with the bat and termed his knock as one the 'finest'.

"(On Shubman) Today's innings was one of the finest, he never looked rushed. It felt like someone was throwing balls and he was hitting. He will be a superstar in international and franchise cricket. I do have conversations with him, I try that people feed off my energy. I think the clarity and confidence he is carrying is amazing," Pandya concluded.

GT will play against one of the most successful franchises of IPL Chennai Super Kings in the final on Sunday on their home ground at the Narendra Modi Stadium.