Hypothesis surrounding Hardik Pandya‘s future at Mumbai Indians and a possible commerce forward of the 2027 Indian Premier League (IPL) public sale intensified on Wednesday after a recent report claimed that the MI captain had approached his former franchise, Gujarat Titans, over a potential return. Nonetheless, the transfer reportedly fell by means of after Hardik made it a situation that he be reinstated as captain.
Based on a report in The Indian Specific, Gujarat Titans have been open to bringing Hardik again and had even mentioned the chance with their present captain, Shubman Gill. The franchise was reportedly keen to contemplate the commerce, and Gill was additionally stated to have agreed to Hardik’s return. However the captaincy demand proved to be the sticking level.
“The franchise was wonderful with him making a return. That they had even mentioned the identical with their captain, Shubman Gill, and he, too, had agreed that the franchise might commerce him again. However when his situation of captaincy was put up, everybody stated no to it,” a supply was quoted as saying.
Hardik joined Gujarat Titans forward of their inaugural IPL season in 2022 and was instantly appointed captain. Below his management, and with Ashish Nehra as head coach, Gujarat gained the title of their debut marketing campaign. They reached the ultimate once more the next season earlier than Hardik made a shock return to the Mumbai Indians in December 2023.
He was handed the MI captaincy because the franchise moved on from Rohit Sharma. Nonetheless, Hardik has been unable to breed the success he loved in Gujarat. Mumbai have made the playoffs solely as soon as within the final three seasons, whereas Hardik’s particular person returns have additionally been underwhelming. He scored fewer than 225 runs at a median beneath 25 in every of these seasons, though his strike charge remained near 150 and he contributed 29 wickets.
A return to Gujarat would have reunited Hardik with acquainted faces, together with Nehra and Gill, who performed beneath him throughout the franchise’s first two seasons. However the reported captaincy situation would have been notably tough for Gujarat to simply accept with Gill now India’s Check and ODI captain.
A Gujarat Titans consultant declined to touch upon the report.
Hardik’s camp, in the meantime, denied that the all-rounder had straight approached any franchise relating to a commerce.
“Hardik Pandya had no direct dialog with any franchise in any way relating to switch commerce, or in any other case. If any method has been made to him, that has been directed to the MI franchise,” his spokesperson stated.
The event comes amid weeks of hypothesis over Hardik’s future at Mumbai Indians. The Indian Specific had beforehand reported that the franchise was not eager on retaining him as captain and was even evaluating his future as a participant following a disappointing 2026 marketing campaign.
Mumbai misplaced 10 of their 14 matches, completed ninth within the desk and prolonged their title drought to 6 years.
Cricbuzz had additionally reported on Monday that Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Tremendous Kings have been among the many franchises believed to be fascinated by buying Hardik. Lucknow Tremendous Giants and Rajasthan Royals have additionally been linked with the all-rounder, though these studies stay unconfirmed.
