IPL: GT skipper Hardik Pandya returns to MI; Cameron Green joins RCB from Mumbai

All-rounder Hardik Pandya was traded from Gujarat Titans (GT) to his former team Mumbai Indians (MI) in a blockbuster move of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) trading window ahead of the 2024 season. The move, however, was confirmed on Monday after the deadline for franchises to announce their list of retained and released players had passed. Pandya’s name was initially included in the Titans’ list of retained players and he was even named as the captain. Five-time champions Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, have decided to trade one all-rounder to accommodate another, with Australian all-rounder Cameron Green joining the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). IPL 2024 Auction: Full list of players retained, released, traded The formal paperwork wasn’t completed in time on Sunday which is why IPL and BCCI didn’t greenlight the most anticipated transfer. “Yes, Hardik’s trade off got completed after 5 pm. The deal is now formalised and he is a MI player. It’s been a tripartite all cash deal. MI have traded their all-rounder Cameron Green to RCB in an all cash deal. After that they had requisite funds to settle an all-cash deal with Gujarat Titans and procure Hardik’s services,” a senior BCCI official and IPL Governing Council member told PTI on conditions of anonymity. Green was bought by MI for a whopping Rs 17.5 crore during last auction and hence the money required to buy Hardik wasn’t available till that deal was inked. Pandya was picked by Gujarat Titans before 2022 auction from the list of available players for the two new franchises — GT and Lucknow Super Giants. His reported fee was Rs 15 crore and he led the side to back-to-back finals, winning the championship in maiden year and losing a thriller to CSK in 2023. Mumbai Indians, who have one of the most systematic team building process, have roped in Pandya with a long-term plan in mind as there will be mega auction in 2025 and every franchise will try to build a new team with a young core. IPL 2024 Auction: Purse remaining for all 10 franchises However with India’s ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma still very much in the mix and perhaps franchise’s biggest icon with five titles under his belt, it would be interesting what kind of decision the owners and top management with regards to leadership. This must be mentioned that those in the know of things had an inkling that Pandya, after two years at Titans, wanted to move back to the franchise from where he had made a name and played seven seasons. The lure of captaining IPL’s most popular franchise with biggest fan base was also a reason apart from building his brand as a national skipper in one of the formats. Hardik played 31 matches for GT and scored 833 runs across the two seasons, while also having taken 11 wickets. The seam-bowling all-rounder, who currently leads India in T20Is, had made his IPL debut during the 2015 season when MI took on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. He was part of MI’s title-winning campaigns in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, but following a difficult season in 2021 where he scored 127 runs and took just eight wickets, he was then let go by MI ahead of the 2022 season. Gill to captain GT Gujarat Titans have named Shubman Gill as captain to lead the team ahead of the IPL 2024 season. “Shubman Gill has shown growth in stature and standing over the last two years at the highest level of the game. We’ve seen him mature not only as a batter but also as a leader in cricket. His contribution on the field has helped Gujarat Titans emerge as a formidable force, guiding the team through a successful campaign in 2022 and a strong run in 2023. His maturity and skill is evident in his on-field performance and we are extremely excited to embark on a new journey with a young leader like Shubman at the helm,” said Vikram Solanki the Director of Cricket. Gill said on the announcement: “I am delighted and proud to assume the Captaincy of Gujarat Titans and thank the franchise for their trust in me to lead such a fine team. We have had two exceptional seasons and I keenly look forward to leading the team with our exciting brand of cricket.” With inputs from PTI