In a surprising turn of events, it appears that Hardik Pandya might be making a sensational return to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans for the upcoming IPL season. Sources reveal that Mumbai Indians are set to seal the deal with a whopping all-cash transaction of INR 15 crore ($1.8 million approx.), making it potentially the most significant player trade in the history of the IPL.
While neither franchise has officially commented on the trade, the major hurdle for Mumbai is ensuring they have sufficient funds for the transfer. After the last auction, Mumbai was left with a mere INR 0.05 crore ($6000 approx.) in their purse, but with an additional INR 5 crore ($600,000 approx.) allocated for the upcoming auction, they need to make room by releasing players before the retention deadline on November 26 at 4 pm IST.
Hardik Pandya, who led Gujarat Titans to victory in their debut IPL season in 2022 and steered them to the final in 2023, is currently nursing an ankle injury sustained during India’s ODI World Cup campaign. His remarkable performance at Titans includes scoring 833 runs in 30 innings with an average of 41.65 and a strike rate of 133.49, coupled with 11 wickets at an economy of 8.1.
If the trade materializes, it would mark Hardik Pandya as the third captain to be traded in IPL history, following R Ashwin’s move from Punjab Kings to Delhi Capitals and Ajinkya Rahane’s trade from Rajasthan Royals to Capitals in 2020.
The Titans franchise, owned by global fund manager CVC Capital Partners, secured Hardik’s services during their inception in 2021, picking him alongside Afghanistan all-rounder Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill. However, Mumbai Indians, where Hardik initially made a name for himself as an uncapped player in 2015, are keen on bringing him back to the team where he contributed to title-winning seasons in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
Hardik’s journey with Mumbai came to a surprising halt when he was released ahead of the 2022 mega auction, a decision that raised eyebrows. Mumbai opted to retain Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Kieron Pollard, opening the door for Gujarat Titans to sign Hardik as their captain. Now, with the prospect of his return to Mumbai Indians, the IPL fans eagerly await the official announcement and the unfolding of yet another chapter in Hardik Pandya’s IPL saga.
