Hardik Pandya to make a comeback in Mumbai Indians, Shubman Gill's role in GT in focus: Report

All-rounder Hardik Pandya, who got dropped from the World Cup squad due to his ankle injury, may cut ties with Gujarat Titans (GT), and return to his former franchise, Mumbai Indians for the next Indian Premier League (IPL), a report said on Saturday.

The Mukesh Ambani-controlled team is reportedly paying a whopping Rs 15 crore in an all-cash deal as the all-rounder's salary and an undisclosed transfer fee to Gujarat Titans, ESPNcricinfo reported. Pandya is set to gain 50 per cent of the transfer fee.

If the deal materialises, it will be the biggest player trade in IPL history so far. As of now, neither franchise has made it official.

Pandya, who started his IPL career with Mumbai Indians, led the Gujarat-based franchise to win the title in the 2022 IPL season and was also named the 'Player of the Match' in the final game against Rajasthan Royals.

In his first IPL season in 2015, Pandya was signed by Mumbai Indians for only Rs 10 lakh.

Pandya has played 123 matches in which he has scalped 53 wickets and scored 2,309 runs at a strike rate of 139.89.

In 2023, Gujarat Titans made it to the IPL final for the second time in a row, but lost the game to Chennai Super Kings. In both seasons, under Hardik's leadership, Titans had finished top of the points table in the league stage.

In two seasons with Gujarat Titans, Pandya scored 833 runs in 30 innings, with an average of 41.65 and strike rate of 133.49. He took 11 wickets for them with an economy of 8.1.

Next in line?

With Pandya's departure, Gujarat Titans are looking for a new captain. Indian opener Shubman Gill and New Zealand’s veteran skipper Kane Williamson are likely to be in the race to lead the team in the 2024 season.

Gill had a great run at the IPL so far. He won the IPL 2023 Orange Cap after scoring 890 runs in 17 matches in the last season.

He enjoyed a stupendous run of form towards the end of the tournament, smashing three centuries in the last five games of the season. He is only the third batter to score in excess of 800 runs in a single season of the IPL.

Besides Gill, New Zealand skipper Williamson is a world-class batsman, who has been one of the most successful captains in international cricket. He has led New Zealand to the finals of the 2019 World Cup and the 2021 World Test Championship. In the ICC World Cup 2023, New Zealand reached the semifinal round and were defeated by India.