After initially thinking Gujarat Titans would keep Hardik Pandya, despite rumours of him joining Mumbai Indians, it turns out the latter is now true. Cricbuzz reports that the Titans’ captain has been traded to Mumbai Indians in an all-cash deal, just as earlier reports suggested.
As reported by the well-known portal, the agreement between the two franchises was finalized on Sunday, November 26th.
Sources within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have confirmed that formal approval has been granted, although the specifics of the trade are still pending. The fee for the Baroda-born cricketer in the 2023 edition is ₹15 crore.
It will be intriguing to observe whether Hardik Pandya will assume the captaincy for the Mumbai-based franchise in place of Rohit Sharma, who has guided them to an impressive five titles since assuming leadership in 2013.
Hardik Pandya has performed exceptionally well in his role as the captain of Gujarat Titans
In the inaugural season of 2022, as the captain of Gujarat Titans, Pandya steered the team to a title in a commanding manner.
Although the 30-year-old was on the verge of securing back-to-back titles for the Titans, they were narrowly defeated by Chennai Super Kings in a final-ball thriller during the decisive match.
However, Pandya built his base with the Mumbai Indians during a six-year tenure from 2015 to 2021, witnessing the franchise secure the title four times. In his role as the Titans’ captain, he has guided them to an impressive 21 victories in 30 matches.
His success in the captaincy role also led to him captaining India in T20Is, particularly after Rohit Sharma opted for a break from the format following the 2022 T20 World Cup.
If the 30-year-old leads Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024 and achieves success, he might be considered to captain Team India in the 2024 T20 World Cup. The auction for IPL 2024 is scheduled for December 19th in Dubai.
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