Afghanistan Star To Replace Hardik Pandya At Gujarat Titans For IPL 2024? Ex-India Star's 'Perfect Fit' Suggestion

07.12.2023 - 03:05 sports.ndtv.com

Former Indian cricket team all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes Afghanistan star Azmatullah Omarzai can be a potential replacement for Hardik Pandya in Gujarat Titans.

Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Auction, GT face a tough challenge of replacing Hardik who rejoined Mumbai Indians in a sensational trade.

Omarzai produced a brilliant all-round performance in the Cricket World Cup 2023 where he scored 353 runs in 9 matches and also took 9 wickets.

Pathan said that the Afghanistan star is a good all-rounder option and with Rashid Khan already in their ranks, GT will be able to utilise Omarzai well. "Looking at the Gujarat Titans, they are missing out on Hardik Pandya.

cricket IPL 2024 Hardik Pandya Harshal Patel Star Sports Irfan Pathan Gujarat Titans India Afghanistan

Hardik Pandya's trade to Mumbai Indians (MI) from Gujarat Titans (GT) was definitely one the most surprising moves in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history. The all-rounder, who had made his debut in the marquee event playing for MI in 2015, returned to the franchise in 2023 after playing two seasons for GT. MI acquired the services of Hardik in an all-cash deal from GT. Speaking about the trade, GT's head coach Ashish Nehra explained the management's opinion while talking about the move.

'Rohit Sharma Back As Mumbai Indians Captain?': Internet On Overdrive As Injury May Rule Out Hardik Pandya Of IPL 2024

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya's ankle injury, which he suffered during the World Cup, is likely to rule him out of the upcoming T20I series, while the player participation in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) remains a doubt. NDTV sources have confirmed that Hardik will miss the T20I series against Afghanistan on home soil, and the newly-appointed Mumbai Indians captain might not recover in time to lead the team in the 17th season of IPL.

Hardik Pandya, New Mumbai Indians Captain, May Miss IPL 2024 Due To Injury: Sources

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya could miss the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to an ankle injury, NDTV sources confirmed on Saturday. This comes after Hardik was traded to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans ahead of the IPL players auction. The players was initially named in the retention list by GT, but was traded to MI ahead of the auction as part of an all-cash deal. NDTV sources have confirmed that Hardik will miss the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan, while his participation in the upcoming season of IPL remains a doubt.

"To Replace Hardik Pandya...": GT Coach Ashish Nehra Breaks Silence On 'Difficult' Exit Of Star

Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra admitted that it will be tough to replace a multi-faceted player like Hardik Pandya but banked on Shubman Gill to shoulder the responsibility of leading the side in next year's IPL. Pandya recently returned to Mumbai Indians and has been appointed as the skipper of the five-time champions. "To replace a player like Hardik Pandya is difficult considering his talent and experience. We have seen how he (Gill) has shaped up in the past three-four years. He is 24-25 years of age but he has a good head on his shoulders," Nehra said in a virtual post-auction press meet on Tuesday night.

Viral Video: Hardik Pandya Called MI "Team Of Superstars", Rohit Sharma Said...

Ever since Mumbai Indians announced the decision to replace Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as the franchise's skipper, the captaincy change has been one of the most talked-about topics on social media. While some fans are upset to see the captaincy responsibilities being taken away from Rohit, some have welcomed the 'timely change' in command. Some nostalgic fans have also been sharing old videos featuring Rohit and Hardik on social media, highlighting the times when they played for MI together and those occasions when the latter joined Gujarat Titans.

'Not A Finished Product': Ex-India Star's Bold Take On Hardik Pandya's Captaincy

Cricket commentator and former India player Aakash Chopra feels that Hardik Pandya as a captain is not a "finished product". Hardik made a return to the five-time champions in a trade deal between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. While many expected Hardik to play under Rohit's captaincy, MI's decision to hand the captaincy to the 30-year-old all-rounder earlier this week caught many by surprise. While hosting JioCinema's daily sports show '#AAKASHVANI', Aakash gave his take on Pandya's appointment and said, "It's my understanding and not some inside news. When Hardik (Pandya) decided to move from Gujarat, captaincy may have been a part of the deal. This decision would have been definitely communicated to Rohit Sharma as well."