3 reasons why Hardik Pandya's trade to Mumbai Indians doesn't make sense for him
Star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is on the verge of parting ways with his current team Gujarat Titans (GT) and could make a return to his former franchise Mumbai Indians for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
This trade is a complete monetary transaction, with the Mumbai Indians committing to an INR 15 crore salary for the 30-year-old player and an undisclosed transfer fee to be paid to Titans.
Should the transfer materialize, it would be recognized as the most significant player trade in the history of the IPL. As of now, neither of the franchises involved has officially confirmed the move.
Here we take a look at 3 reasons why Hardik Pandya trade to Mumbai Indians doesn't make sense for him:
#3 Was the face of Gujarat Titans
Hardik Pandya is currently the captain of Gujarat Titans and has already led the side to two finals and one title. He was the leader of the pack and built the side as per his needs. The players looked comfortable with him at the helm and trusted their skipper.
As such, Hardik moving to Mumbai might not do any good to his own brand value as well as leadership credentials. At the same time, it will be a big loss for Gujarat since they will have to now move forward with a new ethos in the upcoming seasons.
#2 Rohit Sharma is still Mumbai Indians' captain
As things stand, Rohit Sharma is still the captain of Mumbai Indians and there is no way the five-time IPL champions will ask him to step down and appoint Hardik captain of the side.
Hence, it really does not make sense for Hardik Pandya to go to a side where he will be just another player and not the leader.
It will be a massive step down for a player who was the face and captain of a franchise to be just a regular team member, especially when Hardik is being considered captain of India's limited overs squads in the future.
#1 Cameron Green is Mumbai Indians' all-rounder
Cameron Green was the big-ticket signing for Mumbai Indians last season. He, along with Tim David, were the finishers for the side and proved to be adequate replacements for Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya.
It will be interesting to see the role Hardik gets now that Mumbai Indians got a well-balanced side last season. Hardik played in the top order for Gujarat Titans over the last two years and also took the new ball. He was the main all-rounder for the side and might not be as potent for Mumbai Indians since Cameron Green is already in the side.