No end to speculations as Hardik set for return to MI in all-cash trade deal

Hardik Pandya

India's flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Pandya is set for a return to the Mumbai Indians franchise for the next IPL, with a one-way all-cash trade deal nearing completion. The India cricketer's name, though, figured in the list of retained players announced by his existing franchise Gujarat Titans on Sunday, the last day of the player release and retention.

Also Read: Full list of retained, released players & squads; Titans retain Hardik Pandya

The trading window, however, will be open until December 12 while the mini auction will be held on December 19 in Dubai. Pandya began his Indian Premier League career with Mumbai Indians in 2015 and was a part of the side until 2021. He won four titles with the Mumbai Indians. Following the inclusion of Gujarat Titans into the competition in 2022, he was picked up by the Ahmedabad-based franchise and was also made the captain of the side. He led Gujarat Titans to title success in their debut season and helped them finish as the runners-up in IPL 2023.

Speculations were rife that Pandya could rejoin Mumbai Indians, ending his two-year association with the Titans ahead of the IPL 2024. While the Mumbai side named Rohit Sharma as their captain for IPL 2024, England pacer Jofra Archer has been released. Archer is still recuperating from an elbow surgery. The move will make Pandya one of the few captains to be traded in the IPL, joining the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane, who were traded in 2020.

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