Not Only Hardik Pandya, Gujarat Titans Would've Lost Mohammed Shami Too. COO Reveals 'Wrong' Approach

07.12.2023 - 06:03 sports.ndtv.com

Hardik Pandya's high-profile transfer from former IPL champions Gujarat Titans to his old franchise Mumbai Indians grabbed everyone's attention.

Hardik Pandya had led Gujarat Titans to IPL win in 2022 and to a runners-up finish in 2023. After that a shock move to Mumbai Indians, where Hardik Pandya made a name for himself in his early days, was the biggest news after the 10 IPL franchises had released the list of players who had been retained.

It has now come to light, that not only Hardik Pandya, Gujarat Titans was about to lose another star - Mohammed Shami. In an interview to News18, the Chief Operating Officer of Gujarat Titans, Colonel Arvinder Singh revealed that a franchise had contacted their leading wicket-taker Mohammed Shami too.

In the video, Colonel Arvinder Singh said: "Every franchise has the right to go for top players. The wrong part is that if an IPL franchise directly approaches a player.

cricket IPL 2024 Hardik Pandya Mohammed Shami Gujarat Titans India

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.

"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."

Hardik Pandya Ending Rohit Sharma's 10-Year Reign As Mumbai Indians Skipper Sparks Massive Meme Fest

Hardik Pandya was appointed the Mumbai Indians skipper ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season ending the ten-year tenure of Rohit Sharma. Rohit was one of the most successful captains in the history of the competition with five trophies with MI. As a player, the Indian cricket team skipper has won six with one of them coming with Deccan Chargers. Pandya rejoined MI as part of a sensational trade move from Gujarat Titans where he was captain for two years and even led them to the title in 2022. In an official statement, Mumbai Indians explained that the change in leadership was part of their future planning and thanked Rohit for his service to the franchise. Mumbai Indians are currently the most successful IPL franchise along with Chennai Super Kings with five titles each.

"We Were Not In The Mood To Eat...": Mohammed Shami Reveals How PM Narendra Modi Helped India Cope With World Cup Loss

Star pacer Mohammed Shami became the talk of the town after his heroics for Team India in the recently concluded ODI World Cup 2023. Despite missing out on the first four matches of the tournament, Shami emerged as the highest wicket-taker with a total of 24 scalps to his name. He also bagged the Player of the Tournament award for his stellar performance. Despite all this, Team India failed to lift the World Cup trophy as they lost against Australia in the summit clash.