India’s T20I captain, Hardik Pandya, is expected to dominate cricket discussions in the coming days. As the IPL trading window closes on November 26, there are reports that Pandya may depart from the Gujarat Titans, the team he previously led to an IPL title victory. Sources have revealed that Pandya is likely to return to his former team, the Mumbai Indians. This move will have a significant impact as Pandya was the captain of the Gujarat Titans.
The Mumbai Indians have not officially commented on this development, according to a report from news agency PTI. An IPL source tracking the situation in Gujarat Titans stated, “Yes, I can confirm that there have been talks of Hardik going to MI. There is a chance that he might switch sides, but nothing more can be confirmed as the deal is yet to be signed.”
Pandya had played seven seasons for the Mumbai Indians before being released prior to the 2022 season. After joining the Gujarat Titans, he led the team to consecutive IPL finals, winning the trophy in their debut season.
Since trading involves player swaps, it remains unclear who the Mumbai Indians would release if Pandya returns to their fold. There is also uncertainty about whether the Mumbai Indians will release Jofra Archer, their expensive acquisition worth Rs 8 crore, who has been plagued by injuries in the past two seasons.
With the IPL Governing Council increasing the purse by an additional Rs 5 crore, the Mumbai Indians will enter the mini-auction with Rs 5.50 crore in their reserve unless they release some of their high-priced players.
If Pandya signs with the Mumbai Indians, the big question is whether he will play under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, who has guided the team to five trophies and has been in excellent form.
These unanswered questions will only be clarified once the BCCI officially announces the final trading list.
[With PTI inputs]
