[Watch] Hardik Pandya speaks on Gujarat Titans' pursuit of excellence in inspirational video

Gujarat Titans stunned the cricketing world by romping to Indian Premier League (IPL) glory a season ago under the leadership of Hardik Pandya. The team flourished under Pandya's captaincy and exceeded all expectations by finishing atop the points table and beating the Rajasthan Royals in the finals last year.

Hardik was also a star with the bat, scoring 487 runs and averaging close to 45 at a strike rate of 131. He also chipped in with eight wickets, including a match-winning spell of 3/17 in the finals, making him the Man of the Match.

Ahead of the upcoming IPL, the skipper opened up about how he dreamed of winning matches, winning hearts, playing for Team India, and winning the IPL as a captain. He also reiterated how hard he had to work to fulfill his ambitions and how his near and dear ones were always with him through thick and thin.

Pandya then went on to talk about how winning the IPL title was a dream for everyone, from the players to the coach and the support staff of the franchise. But pursuing excellence remains the franchise's ultimate goal.

Here is a video of Hardik Pandya talking about the journey and the team's pursuit of excellence ahead of the upcoming IPL shared by the franchise on its social media handles.

The Titans made some shrewd moves at the mini-auction last year by acquiring the services of New Zealand's limited overs skipper, Kane Williamson, Ireland's young pace sensation, Joshua Little, Indian pacer Shivam Mavi and wicket-keeper batsman KS Bharat, among others.

Hardik Pandya's Gujarat Titans take on MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2023 opener

Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni will face off in the opening encounter of IPL 2023

Gujarat Titans will enter IPL 2023 high on confidence after their successful 2022 campaign. They will look to become just the third side after the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians to defend their IPL title this year.

Gujarat will look towards the leadership and all-round performances of their charismatic skipper Hardik Pandya, the in-form Shubman Gill, and T20 great Rashid Khan to replicate last year's success.

The Titans also hope that their new additions, Kane Williamson, Shivam Mavi, and KS Bharat, will help bring more solidity to the top-order and pace-bowling department.

Gujarat Titans will open their season against the four-time defending champions Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 31 (Friday).