Gujarat Titans’ Team Director Vikram Solanki acknowledged Hardik Pandya’s contribution to the team’s success in then last two seasons. The former England cricketer revealed that it was the all-rounder himself who expressed his desire to return to the Mumbai Indians and that they wholeheartedly respect it.

On Monday, Mumbai Indians’ officially proclaimed Pandya’s inclusion in their ranks as some confusion prevailed after all 10 franchises announced their retention and released list. The Titans decided to trade Pandya for a sum of INR 15 crore, with Shubman Gill succeeding the all-rounder as the franchise’s captain for IPL 2024.

As the first captain of Gujarat Titans, Hardik Pandya has helped the franchise deliver two fantastic seasons that resulted in winning one IPL championship and one appearance in the final,” Solanki was quoted as saying in a statement.

“He has now expressed a desire to return to his original team Mumbai Indians. We respect his decision and wish him all the very best in his future endeavours,” the former England batter further added.

“Shubman Gill has shown growth in stature and standing” – Vikram Solanki on Gujarat Titans’ new captain

Solanki, who has closely worked with the Gill, vouched for his maturity.”Shubman Gill has shown growth in stature and standing over the last two years at the highest level of the game. We’ve seen him mature not only as a batter but also as a leader in cricket,” Solanki opined.”His maturity and skill is evident in his on-field performance and we are extremely excited to embark on a new journey with a young leader like Shubman at the helm,” the head of GT think-tank said.

The Titans finished as the runners-up in IPL 2023.

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan posted a cryptic tweet on X, referring to the ‘Use and Throw’ policy and netizens have predictably started analysing who is it directed to. With star all-rounder Hardik Pandya likely to shift his base back to Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2024, fans allege that the post is meant for him.

Several reports have suggested that the Gujarat Titans captain will return to his old franchise in an all-cash deal of ₹15 crore ahead of the 2024 edition. Should it materialise, it will be the biggest trade of the season, given the 30-year-old is one of the most-sought white-ball players in the world today and won the crown on his captaincy debut.Pathan took to X and wrote, ‘Use and throw has been the real characteristic since the start.’

Hardik Pandya currently nursing an ankle injury suffered during the 2023 World Cup:

With the seam-bowling all-rounder suffering an ankle injury during the 2023 World Cup game against Bangladesh, ruling him out of the remaining fixtures too, he is likely to mark his return during IPL 2024. Notably, Pandya could also be leading Team India in the 2024 T20 World Cup set to take place in June 1st week in the West Indies and USA.

The Baroda-born cricketer was part of Mumbai Indians from 2015-2021 and played a hand in four of their title wins. Hence, he would be an invaluable addition to the five-time champions’ arsenal.

Ahmedabad: The heart-breaking loss against Australia in the 2023 World Cup final match still has fans reeling and recovering from the heartbreaking defeat. The over 1 lakh crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and a billion hearts were broken the moment India lost the match and a chance to lift the coveted trophy. However, a video that surfaced on Tuesday, two days after the devastating loss, shows PM Modi consoling the Indian players inside the Cricket team dressing room.

“Desh aap log ko dekh raha hai (The nation is watching you),” said PM Modi to Indian Cricket team captain Rohit Sharma and star batsman and player of the tournament, Virat Kohli.

The PM also met the other players in the dressing room and especially consoled Mohammed Shami. The pacer lit up the World Cup with his explosive spells in the tournament and picked most number of wickets.

PM also greeted all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul as well as shook hands with the Rahul Dravid, head India coach during the World Cup. While greeting KL Rahul, PM Modi said, “hota hai (It happens in sports).”The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 saw Australia become world champions for the sixth time by beating India, who were the overwhelming favourites to lift the coveted trophy. The final match which was held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, was attended by the who’s who of the glamour and sports world. Though India failed to win the trophy, the team won hearts thanks to its brand of play and 10 match winning streak, before losing the final against Australia.