Even before the 2024 auction began, homecomings were the buzz of the IPL. The majority of it was owing to Hardik Pandya’s departure from Gujarat Titans (GT), the first club that trusted him as captain in the IPL, to return to the franchise that scouted him in the first place, Mumbai Indians (MI).
Some GT supporters were disappointed to see him depart, while some MI fans didn’t mind his returning as long as he didn’t play under Rohit Sharma. MI tried to present it as a homecoming, but after choosing Hardik as captain, it became far more contentious than they had hoped.
This wasn’t the first time it went that way. But, when Gautam Gambhir retired from KKR to go back home and play for his new franchisee DC, it turned out disastrous for all concerned. He quit midstream–people saw right through him.
However, when homecomings are not motivated by a player’s preference, they are often positive (for example, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni’s return to Chennai Super Kings after 2018).
Three similar incidents occurred during the IPL 2024 auction. You may find them here:
3. Shreyas Gopal to Mumbai Indians
Shreyas Gopal, a leg spinner, was one of the early triumphs of MI’s now-famous scouting technique.
The Karnataka player joined the franchise in 2014 and was quite good in his maiden season, taking up six wickets from four matches at an average of 18.83. His collaboration with fellow Karnataka spinner Jagadeesha Suchith was stunning to witness at the time.
Despite solid performances for Karnataka, MI didn’t trust them much during the following three years, and the duo languished in the shadow of Harbhajan Singh, Krunal Pandya, and Karn Sharma.
Gopal joined the Rajasthan Royals in 2018 after two excellent seasons with the Royals, followed by three difficult seasons (two with the Royals and two with SunRisers Hyderabad). He is now returning to MI as one of the domestic greats of Karnataka cricket, having bowled with both new and old balls in T20s.
Given MI’s lack of spin alternatives, he’ll likely only have a few games to make his impact and could even set the clock back to 2014.
2. Manish Pandey to Kolkata Knight Riders
There are match-winning finals performances, and then there’s Manish Pandey’s 94 (50) in the 2014 IPL final.
Seldom have players in the tournament’s history been the team’s leading scorer during a titanic 200-run drive for the championship. He executed it with the utmost conviction against Kings XI Punjab, the finest squad of the year.
Pandey’s knock alone earned him a spot on the national squad, while his domestic accomplishments earned him an 11-crore contract with SRH for four years, from 2018 to 2021. Even Lucknow Super Giants didn’t hesitant to invest a whopping 4.60 crore on him last season.
However, Pandey’s IPL performances were never quite up to par. The six-hitting talent on show in the 2014 final was never the same again. KKR believed in him so much that they paid 50 lakh for him despite his previous troubles, although he’d likely remain a backup for the majority of the season.
Still, Pandey will bring strong leadership abilities (he won the Maharaja Trophy as captain in 2023) and will want to use every opportunity to prove that he still has it.
1. Shardul Thakur to Chennai Super Kings
Shardul Thakur will be the most at ease returning to CSK for IPL 2024 of the three players on this list. It’s hardly surprising that the franchise outbid SRH in a brief bidding battle to get the India all-rounder for 4 crore.
Thakur began his career with Punjab, then in 2017 he joined the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant, then in 2018 he joined CSK. His finest IPL seasons came throughout the next four years, all under MS Dhoni’s leadership. Despite his limited batting, Thakur amassed 55 wickets in 48 games, solidifying his reputation as a frequent partner-shirker.
That image brought him to the Indian squad, where he maintained it while also contributing with the bat. CSK, on the other hand, released him in IPL 2022, and DC signed him for a whopping 10.75 crore.
Thakur did well in Delhi, but he was a ghost of himself. In IPL 2023, KKR recognized a chance and swapped him in for the same fee. But, even at KKR, he was a bit-and-pieces player rather than a match-winner.
Even when playing for India, Thakur’s last two years have been difficult. He and CSK hoped that his return home would herald a comeback to his finest days.
