Will Hardik Pandya become the next captain of Mumbai Indians?

In one of the most substantial trade-offs in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Gujarat Titans' skipper, Hardik Pandya, has been traded to Mumbai Indians (MI) on the final day of the player retention deadline.

The all-cash deal

• According to Cricbuzz, the deal was a unilateral, all-cash agreement between Mumbai Indians and GT, with the specific amount undisclosed.
• There wasn't a third player involved in the trade, strengthening MI's roster by acquiring Hardik Pandya.
• MI managed this by trading all-rounder Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bangalore for a fee of Rs 17.5 crore in 2023.
• Speculation about the transfer of Hardik Pandya to MI had been rife in the days leading up to the deadline. He was eventually confirmed to join MI by 5 pm on Sunday.

Will Hardik replace Rohit Sharma as captain?

• As MI aggressively pursued Hardik Pandya's return to the team, it sparks speculations regarding MI's intentions with Pandya.
• Certainly, there seems to be more significance than simply adding an allrounder to the squad.
  There's a strong possibility that Hardik Pandya might be appointed as the team's captain, succeeding Rohit Sharma, who has led the team to five IPL championships.Rohit Sharma, aged 36, has a few years of cricket remaining before retiring from the sport.
• MI was in need of a successor to Rohit, a match-winner capable of leading the team to another championship.
• Hardik Pandya seems to fit this role perfectly, having led GT to their maiden IPL trophy.
• In 2022, when GT entered the tournament, the team appeared weak on paper, with several players out of form despite their reputation, including David Miller, Vijay Shankar, Wriddhiman Saha, or Mohit Sharma.
• However, Hardik Pandya extracted the best out of the players, guiding the team to a successful trophy in his debut year.

  

   

• In 2023, GT had another remarkable run, winning 10 out of their 14 matches, a testament to Pandya's leadership with a new team.

• MI pursued Pandya because there was no other Indian player within the team who could replace Sharma as the next skipper.

• Additionally, Pandya, having moved from GT as a skipper, might not have accepted a role lesser than a captain in the team, considering his two-year captaincy stint.

• For instance, Gautam Gambhir moved to Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2018 as a captain from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after seven years with the purple jersey.

• Similarly, Sourav Ganguly shifted to Sahara Pune Warriors (now defunct) in 2012 after leading KKR for two years (2008, 2010).

• Thus, Pandya stands a high chance of becoming the next MI skipper, although the franchise has not made any formal announcement yet.

Meanwhile, Shubman Gill is anticipated to lead GT in IPL 2024.