Hardik Pandya said he wanted to play for the Mumbai Indians again: Vikram Solanki, director of the Gujarat Titans

After the formal confirmation of the much-awaited transfer, Gujarat Titans (GT) Director of Cricket Vikram Solanki disclosed that Hardik Pandya has indicated his wish to rejoin his previous Indian Premier League (IPL) team, Mumbai Indians (MI). With Cameron Green going to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Hardik returning to Mumbai, the IPL confirmed a double transaction.

Solanki wished Hardik Pandya well in his future pursuits in a statement released on Monday.

He admitted that the all-rounder had played a major role in GT’s championship win in their first season (IPL 2022). Notably, under Hardik, GT advanced to the final for the second time in a row in 2023 but lost to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a rain-affected game in Ahmedabad, narrowly missing out on the championship.

As the Gujarat Titans’ inaugural captain, Hardik Pandya has led the team to two outstanding seasons that have included one IPL title (2022) and one appearance in the final (2023). He has since stated that he would like to rejoin the Mumbai Indians, his old squad. “We honor his choice and hope for the best in all of his future endeavors,” Solanki remarked.

When regular captain Rohit Sharma was unavailable, Hardik was chosen to lead India in Twenty20 international cricket due to his outstanding tenure with the Titans. With the 2024 T20 World Cup approaching, the 30-year-old has been a serious contender to take over as team India’s shortest format captain, replacing Rohit. Since Rohit has been retained as MI’s captain, there is some doubt as to whether he will command the team in the future IPL season in IPL 2024.

After making his IPL debut in 2015, Hardik played seven seasons with MI, finishing with a title win in 2021. Shubman Gill, the star player from the previous edition, has been named the new captain of the Gujarat Titans for the 2024 Indian Premier League.