Ashish Nehra, the head coach of Gujarat Titans (GT), recently discussed Hardik Pandya’s decision to move to Mumbai Indians and also revealed why he didn’t stop the move.
It’s been over three months since Hardik Pandya made that surprising move back to his former team, the Mumbai Indians, after a successful run with the Gujarat Titans. His appointment as the new captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, continues to spark discussions as the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season draws near. Just a week before the season kicks off, GT head coach Ashish Nehra shared his thoughts on Pandya’s decision, also issuing a warning to IPL franchises about potential future transfers.
Nehra, while recognizing the incredible journey they had together over the past couple of years, accepted Pandya’s choice to return to the Mumbai Indians after a significant trade. Reflecting on their time together at Gujarat Titans, Nehra expressed his feelings, mentioning that although he could have tried to persuade Pandya to stay, he ultimately decided against it.
“I never tried to convince Pandya to stay back. As you play more, you gain experience. I could have stopped him had he gone to any other franchise. He (Pandya) played here for two years, but he has gone to a team (MI), where he has played previously for 5–6 years,” Ashish Nehra said as quoted by Hindustan Times.
Pandya’s time with Gujarat Titans saw a mix of success and close calls. With him at the helm, the team grabbed the IPL trophy in 2022 and came close as runners-up in 2023.
Nehra cautioned fellow IPL teams that transfers like Pandya’s, reminiscent of moves common in European football clubs, could become more frequent as the sport evolves.
“The manner in which the sport (cricket) is moving, we will have trades and transfers like we see in international soccer. It’s a new challenge for him and may be he will learn something new and we wish him the best,” he further said.
Even with Nehra’s disclosure, the talk about Hardik’s decision, especially Mumbai’s choice to oust Rohit, is likely to persist until the kickoff of the IPL 2024 campaign.
As excitement mounts for the forthcoming IPL season, everyone’s attention is fixed on the showdown between Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians scheduled at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 24th.
