As the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction approaches, speculations are rife about India's T20I captain, Hardik Pandya, and his future with the Gujarat Titans (GT). The dynamic all-rounder, who currently captains the Gujarat-based franchise, is being linked with a possible return to the Mumbai Indians (MI), where he played for seven seasons before being released ahead of the 2022 season.
While MI have chosen to remain tight-lipped about the situation, cricket enthusiasts and fans may have to wait until November 26, the closing day of the IPL trading window, to learn more about this intriguing development.
Pandya's stint with the Titans has been impressive, leading the team to back-to-back IPL finals and securing the trophy in their debut season. However, talks of his potential move back to the five-time IPL champions have surfaced, though the deal has yet to be finalised.
"Yes, I can confirm that there has been talks of Hardik going to MI. There remains a chance that he might switch sides but at this moment, nothing more can be confirmed as of now as the deal is yet to be signed," said an IPL source tracking developments in GT.
Adding another layer of uncertainty is the status of Jofra Archer, Mumbai Indians' Rs 8 crore acquisition, who has faced injuries for a significant portion of the last two seasons. The decision to retain or release Archer has not been confirmed.
The IPL Governing Council's decision to increase the purse by an additional Rs 5 crore has given the Mumbai Indians a Rs 5.50 crore budget for the upcoming mini-auction, a significant boost from their existing Rs 50 lakh purse. However, the possibility of further reshuffling the squad to increase their reserve funds cannot be ruled out.
If Pandya does indeed sign with MI, the burning question is whether he will play under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, who has guided the team to five IPL trophies and remains in top form.
So far, the only official swap has taken place between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The Royals traded top-order batter Devdutt Padikkal for the services of fast bowler Avesh Khan.
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