“Feels good to be back” – Hardik Pandya rejoins Mumbai Indians after leaving Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2024
Hardik Pandya has rejoined Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) after leaving Gujarat Titans (GT) for the upcoming edition of the tournament.
On Monday, the five-time IPL champions, MI, confirmed that Pandya has rejoined the side for ₹15 crore trade deal after playing for GT in the last two editions of the T20 tournament. The move came after Mumbai released all-rounder Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for ₹17.5 crore.
On this occasion, Pandya shared a video of the IPL 2015 auction when the MI purchased him for ₹10 lakh. The all-rounder went on to play for the side until 2021 before joining Gujarat.
During his first stint with MI, Hardik Pandya won four IPL trophies under captain Rohit Sharma. With the bat, he scored 1476 runs in 85 innings at a strike rate of 153.91. The medium pacer also took 42 wickets during his stint with Mumbai.
Pandya wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
“This brings back so many wonderful memories. Mumbai. Wankhede. Paltan. Feels good to be back.”
Mumba Indians' official X handle replied:
“Welcome back HOME.”
Hardik Pandya guided GT to the first-ever IPL trophy in their inaugural season. The 30-year-old then led the Titans to the IPL 2023 final, where his side lost to eventual champions Chennai Super Kings.
In the meantime, Gujarat Titans have appointed Shubman Gill as captain for IPL 2024.
"They will make Hardik Pandya the captain" – Kris Srikkanth on Mumbai Indians future
Former India cricketer Kris Srikkanth believes that the Mumbai-based franchise will appoint Hardik Pandya as their new skipper.
He recently said on his YouTube channel:
“No no (not the end for Rohit). It's about a smooth transition. It happened between Sachin and Rohit. Now it's time for Rohit to Hardik. It's going to be a smooth transition.”
He added:
“At the end of the day, Rohit and Hardik share a wonderful relationship. Obviously, they will make Hardik Pandya the captain. Rohit Sharma will be a key figure and ensure a smooth transition. You need a smooth transition to avoid hiccups in the team.”
As skipper, Hardik Pandya led GT to 22 wins in 31 matches at a win percentage of 70.96.