In a surprising turn of events, Gujarat Titans (GT) have chosen to retain the services of star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, defying earlier speculations of his potential trade to Mumbai Indians (MI) before the Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction 2024.
Hardik led the Titans to victory in the inaugural IPL season in 2022, earning the Player of the Match title in the final against the Rajasthan Royals. Despite finishing as the runner-up to the Chennai Super Kings in the following year’s IPL, Hardik’s leadership and performance played a pivotal role.
This decision makes Hardik an exception as he was on the verge of becoming the third captain to be traded, following Ravichandran Ashwin’s move from Punjab Kings to Delhi Capitals and Ajinkya Rahane’s trade from Rajasthan Royals to Delhi Capitals in 2020.
Hardik Pandya embarked on his IPL journey with the Mumbai Indians in 2015 as an uncapped player, signed for Rs 10 lakhs. His contributions were instrumental in Mumbai’s championship victories in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
It’s noteworthy that Mumbai Indians had released Hardik ahead of the 2022 mega auction, choosing to retain Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Kieron Pollard.
The trading window remains open from seven days after the conclusion of a season until seven days before the Player Auction.
Fans react to Hardik Pandya’s retention canceled trade with MI
Thank you for reading.
