After an ‘unforgettable journey’ with the Gujarat Titans, Hardik Pandya is making a return to the Mumbai Indians. The franchise announced the all-cash trade on Monday. MI released Pandya before the IPL mega auction in 2021, and he subsequently joined GT, where he captained them to a title win in his debut season and led them to the final earlier this year.
However, he is now making a comeback to the team where his cricketing journey began, having been selected by the five-time champions at his base price of Rs 10 lakh in the 2015 auction.
Meanwhile, Pandya’s homecoming to Mumbai Indians has also given birth to confusion over the captaincy. Former South African and Royal Challengers Bangalore batter AB de Villers has shared his opinion. He thinks MI captain Rohit Sharma would give Hardik Pandya the captaincy if the rumored move goes through. He said:
“It is a big and exciting news. Hardik thought his time was over at GT, having won the title in their maiden season. He likes to play at the Wankhede Stadium and was there for several years,” AB de Villiers said.
He added: “Rohit is carrying a lot of weight as far as captaincy is concerned. He leads India in international cricket, and I feel Hardik will take up the leadership role at MI to ease some pressure from Rohit’s shoulders,”
On Monday, Pandya took to his social media and thanked Gujarat Titans, the team management and the fans in an emotional farewell message. He wrote:
“I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the fans, team, and management at Gujarat Titans,” the 30-year-old posted. “Being part of the team and leading it has been an absolute honour, and I am immensely thankful for the love and encouragement my family and I have received as a player and as an individual. The memories and experiences with GT will forever hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for the unforgettable journey.”
