Reports: Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya traded to Mumbai Indians in all-cash deal ahead of IPL 2024

A few hours after it emerged that Gujarat Titans had retained Hardik Pandya, contrary to the earlier rumours that the all-rounder will move to the Mumbai Indians, the same has reportedly materialized. According to Cricbuzz, the Titans captain has been traded to Mumbai Indians in an all-cash deal, as the earlier reports made rounds.

According to the reputed portal, the deal has been signed by the two franchises involved on Sunday (November 26th). As per the sources involved in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), a formal approval was granted; however, the details of the trade are yet to come. The fee for the Baroda-born cricketer for the 2023 edition is ₹15 crore.

It will be interesting to see if Hardik Pandya will captain the Mumbai-based franchise instead of Rohit Sharma, who has led them to a record five titles since taking over in 2013.

Hardik Pandya has done exceedingly well as Gujarat Titans' captain

Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami. (Image Credits: Twitter)

Having captained the Titans in the franchise's debut season in 2022, Pandya led them to a title in dominant fashion. The 30-year-old was close to scripting a consecutive title win for the Titans, but Chennai Super Kings edged them in a final-ball thriller in the decider.

Nevertheless, Pandya attained the foundation from the Mumbai Indians, where he spent six years from 2015 to 2021, having seen the franchise win the crown four times. As captain of the Titans, he has led them to a staggering 21 victories in 30 matches. His success as skipper allowed him to lead India in T20Is, especially after the 2022 T20 World Cup when Rohit Sharma decided to take a break from the format.

Should the 30-year-old captain Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024 and enjoy success, he could be in line to lead Team India in the 2024 T20 World Cup. The auction for IPL 2024 will take place on December 19th in Dubai.