Hardik Pandya returns back to Mumbai Indians after an all-cash deal trade-off with Gujarat Titans which was completed following 72 hours of intense drama. Originally played for Mumbai Indians, Pandya proved to hold a successful leadership profile after winning the cup for Gujarat in his first year as a captain and reaching a thriller final in the last IPL season.
On Sunday at 5 pm, Gujarat Titans announced that they have retained all-rounder Hardik Pandya as their captain for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, amid speculations that he could join Mumbai Indians ahead of the December 19 auction.
However, it was learned that the formal paperwork wasn't yet completed and hence IPL and BCCI didn't give the green light of approval for the most anticipated move of this transfer season. "Yes, Hardik's trade-off was completed after 5 pm. The deal is now formalised and he is an MI player. It's been a tripartite all-cash deal. MI have traded their all-rounder Cameron Green to RCB in an all-cash deal. After that they had requisite funds to settle an all-cash deal with Gujarat Titans and procure Hardik's services," a senior BCCI official and IPL Governing Council member said.
Pandya had joined Gujarat Titans as their captain in 2022. Speculations were rife that Pandya could rejoin Mumbai Indians, ending his two-year association with the Titans ahead of the IPL 2024. It was expected to be an all-cash trade with Mumbai but in the end, Pandya and the Titans found a way out to continue their journey together, at least for now.
While the Mumbai side named Rohit Sharma as their captain for IPL 2024, England pacer Jofra Archer has been released. Archer is still recuperating from an elbow surgery.
First Published: Nov 27, 2023 12:09 AM IST
