Hardik Pandya set to return to Mumbai Indians
New Delhi, November 25
Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is set to cut ties with his current team, Gujarat Titans (GT), and return to his former franchise, Mumbai Indians, for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), as per ESPNcricinfo.
The trade is an all-cash deal comprising the Mumbai-based franchise paying Rs 15 crore as the 30-year-old’s salary and an undisclosed transfer fee to the Titans. Hardik stands to earn up to 50% of the transfer fee, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo.
If the move happens successfully then it will be considered the biggest player trade in IPL history. As of now, neither franchise has made it official.
The all-rounder led the Gujarat-based franchise to win the title in the 2022 season of the IPL and was also named the ‘Player of the Match’ in the final game against Rajasthan Royals.
In the previous edition of the IPL, GT confirmed their place in the IPL final for the second time in their first two seasons. However, in 2023 they lost against Chennai Super Kings and were runners-up.
If the trade happens successfully, the 30-year-old will become the third skipper to be traded after Ravichandran Ashwin changed from Punjab Kings to Delhi Capitals. The second time was when Rajasthan Royals traded Ajinkya Rahane also to the Capitals in 2020.
Hardik made his debut in the 2015 season. Following that he has played 123 matches in which he has scalped 53 wickets and scored 2,309 runs at a strike rate of 139.89.
