"There will still be some upset fans" - AB de Villiers on Hardik Pandya leaving GT to rejoin MI ahead of IPL 2024 auction
Former South African captain AB de Villiers feels that several Gujarat Titans (GT) fans will be disappointed to see Hardik Pandya leave the team ahead of IPL 2024. The ace all-rounder rejoined his former franchise Mumbai Indians (MI).
De Villiers, however, emphasised that Hardik made the call keeping his future as a player in mind. He also suggested that players being traded is going to be another aspect that would excite fans in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Sharing his take, de Villiers said in his latest YouTube video:
"There will still be some upset fans over there. It was a big move, but at the end of the day, it is the man's career that is the most important. That must have been the priority for him, and he finally decided to make that move."
"What happened behind closed doors, none of us will know. Ultimately, I think it is good news for cricketing fans. This whole thing is exciting. With this trading window and retention and the auction coming up, it has really become a business," he added.
Hardik Pandya captained the Titans ever since they were inducted into the IPL a couple of years back. He led them to a championship victory in their maiden season in 2022.
Hardik did a commendable job in the subsequent edition as well. Gujarat finished as runner-up following a narrow loss to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the final.
"Rohit Sharma will still be the captain" - AB de Villiers on MI
Hardik Pandya's arrival in the Mumbai camp has led several supporters to speculate that Rohit Sharma could hand over the captaincy reins to the talismanic all-rounder.
De Villers, however, believes that Sharma will continue to captain the five-time champions in the forthcoming season.
"I do think Rohit Sharma will still be the captain, but maybe there's an injury; you never know what happens, and then they will always have the backup of Hardik Pandya, who can take over the reins. We know what he is capable of as a captain," he added.
De Villiers also questioned Mumbai's decision to trade Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He mentioned that the Australian youngster performed admirably in the last edition of IPL. He said:
"That's huge news. Was it time for Mumbai Indians to let go of him? He had a wonderful season and scored that incredible hundred. We know what he can offer with the ball in hand as well. I'm very happy to announce that he will be playing for RCB this coming season."
It is worth noting that MI traded Green to RCB in an all-cash deal (₹17.50 crore). Mumbai needed the deal to go through, as they were in need of funds because of Hardik's trade.