3 reasons why Hardik Pandya trade is better for GT than MI
Gujarat Titans have reportedly agreed to make the biggest trade in IPL history as they are releasing Hardik Pandya for him to join Mumbai Indians. It is a one-way trade, meaning GT will not receive any players from MI, but they will get a ₹15 crore boost in auction purse and an undisclosed transfer fee, as per ESPNCricinfo.
Many fans were surprised to see the reports of Hardik Pandya being traded ahead of IPL 2024. He led Gujarat Titans to their maiden IPL title in 2022, and then guided them to the runners-up finish in 2023.
It is surprising to see any captain being traded after leading an IPL franchise to two finals in two seasons. However, here are three reasons why Gujarat Titans could actually benefit more than Mumbai Indians by trading Hardik Pandya.
#1 Hardik Pandya is an injury-prone player
The biggest reason why Gujarat Titans may have agreed for this trade is because Hardik Pandya is an injury-prone player. While he managed to largely maintain fitness throughout the hectic IPL 2022 and 2023 seasons, he missed a few matches due to niggles. Also, he did not bat or bowl in some of the games.
Pandya's captaincy was excellent in the two seasons, but the team will want him to be available in all matches for the best results. Looking at how Pandya's injury negatively impacted India's 2023 World Cup campaign, the Titans would have thought about the same and decided to trade their captain.
#2 Dilemma for MI
Mumbai Indians had a strong squad in IPL 2023. They managed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and made it to Qualifier 2, where the Gujarat Titans eliminated them.
The problem with MI trading in Hardik for ₹15 crore is that they only have ₹5.5 crore in their auction purse. Hence, they will have to release players worth around ₹10 crore from their IPL 2023 squad. World-class talents like Jofra Archer and Cameron Green may return to the auction pool from MI's squad.
On top of that, they will have to make a tough call on Rohit Sharma's future as captain. Hardik Pandya was reportedly keen on becoming MI's captain two years ago. It seems unlikely that he would have accepted the trade offer without captaincy.
#3 Luxury for GT at IPL 2024 Auction
Gujarat Titans will now enter the auction with a boosted purse. They have an extra ₹15 crore to spend with big names like Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell set to feature.
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Travis Head understand the conditions in Ahmedabad well. They recently helped Australia defeat a seemingly invincible Indian team at the Narendra Modi Stadium in the 2023 World Cup final.
If GT rope in Cummins as their captain and Head as a middle-order batter, they can pretty much make up for Pandya's absence.
A batting unit comprising Wriddhiman Saha, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Abhinav Manohar, Travis Head, David Miller, Vijay Shankar and Rahul Tewatia looks solid on paper. Besides, a bowling attack featuring Cummins, Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Sai Kishore and Mohit Sharma can give sleepless nights to any batting unit.