Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team director Joy Bhattacharjya has expressed his disapproval of Hardik Pandya’s move from the Gujarat Titans to the Mumbai Indians ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Bhattacharjya referred to the case of Ravindra Jadeja, who was banned during the 2010 season for attempting to force a move to Mumbai Indians after not signing a renewal with the Rajasthan Royals. He argued that such moves can be detrimental to the tournament and set a dangerous precedent for the future.
Bhattacharjya said, “I do not think it is a great idea for the tournament because something similar almost happened in 2010. Ravindra Jadeja did not play a particular season because he wanted to move on and the franchise had signed him. He had said that he doesn’t want to play for Rajasthan Royals anymore and so was banned for a year because they said that you cannot break the system. If a player suddenly says that take me from the auction but I do not want to play for you…and once you start encouraging this trend then it will not be a good idea to go down that road. That is why it was stopped in 2010. But in 2023, you have allowed this to happen with a big player. The truth of this is once you start allowing it, players will realize that if they can kick up enough of a fuss, the franchise will leave them…I don’t think this is a good precedent for the league.”
He further explained that the Gujarat Titans possibly had no choice but to let Hardik leave for the Mumbai Indians as it was the player’s decision. He stated, “Gujarat had two options. They could have allowed him to leave, make some money out of the trade, and get some money for the organization, which is enough to retain another big-name player. The other option is with Hardik saying that he wants to leave, I would get one season of mediocre performance from him. Then he will leave and I will get nothing from it. Gujarat hence couldn’t have made any other choices given the circumstances.”
The move has sparked discussions about the implications it may have on the IPL and the potential for future players to demand similar transfers. Bhattacharjya’s concerns highlight the need for careful consideration of such moves to maintain the integrity and stability of the league.
