The Gujarat Titans have allegedly agreed to execute the largest transaction in IPL history, releasing Hardik Pandya and allowing him to join the Mumbai Indians. According to ESPNCricinfo, it is a one-way transaction, which means GT will not receive any players from MI, but they will receive a 15 crore increase in auction purse and an unknown transfer fee.
Many fans were astonished to hear that Hardik Pandya has been moved before of the IPL 2024. He led Gujarat Titans to their first IPL victory in 2022, and subsequently to second place in 2023.
Any captain getting moved after guiding an IPL club to two finals in two seasons is unusual. However, here are three reasons why the Gujarat Titans may profit more than the Mumbai Indians from the trade of Hardik Pandya.
1. Hardik Pandya’s frequent injuries
The main reason the Gujarat Titans may have consented to this transaction is because Hardik Pandya is prone to injury. While he was able to maintain a high level of fitness during the rigorous IPL 2022 and 2023 seasons, he did miss a few games owing to niggles. In addition, in some of the games, he did neither bat or bowl.
Pandya’s captaincy was good across the two seasons, but the club will want him to be available in all matches for the best outcomes. Given how Pandya’s injury hampered India’s World Cup campaign in 2023, the Titans would have considered trading their skipper.
2. Dilemma for MI
In IPL 2023, Mumbai Indians had a formidable squad. They qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and advanced to Qualifier 2, where they were ousted by the Gujarat Titans.
The issue with MI dealing Hardik for 15 crore is that they only have 5.5 crore in their auction pot. As a result, they will have to release players valued about 10 crore from their IPL 2023 roster. From MI’s roster, world-class players such as Jofra Archer and Cameron Green may return to the auction pool.
Furthermore, they will have to make a difficult decision on Rohit Sharma’s future as captain. Hardik Pandya allegedly wanted to be MI’s captain two years ago. Without captaincy, it appears doubtful that he would have accepted the trade offer.
3. Luxury for GT at IPL 2024 Auction
Gujarat Titans will now compete in the auction with a larger purse. They have an additional 15 crore to spend on major stars like Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Rachin Ravindra, and Daryl Mitchell.
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Travis Head are all familiar with the conditions in Ahmedabad. They recently assisted Australia in defeating an apparently unbeatable Indian squad in the 2023 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
GT can make up for Pandya’s absence if they sign Cummins as skipper and Head as a middle-order batsman.
On paper, the batting lineup of Wriddhiman Saha, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Abhinav Manohar, Travis Head, David Miller, Vijay Shankar, and Rahul Tewatia appears to be good. A bowling attack that includes Cummins, Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Sai Kishore, and Mohit Sharma can also make any batting unit sleepless.
