NEW DELHI: Gujarat Titans team director Vikram Solanki expressed respect for Hardik Pandya‘s decision to join Mumbai Indians for the upcoming IPL 2024, following the confirmed trade announced by the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The double trade involving Hardik returning to MI and Cameron Green moving to Royal Challengers Bangalore was officially confirmed by the IPL on Monday, substantiating earlier speculations.Hardik’s homecoming
In a statement released on Monday, Solanki conveyed his best wishes to Hardik for his future endeavors and disclosed that the all-rounder had expressed a desire to make a move away from the Gujarat Titans franchise.
“As the first captain of Gujarat Titans, Hardik Pandya has helped the franchise deliver two fantastic seasons that resulted in winning one TATA IPL championship and one appearance in the final. 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,” Solanki said.

Nita Ambani welcomes Hardik back in MI set up
As Hardik expressed his joy at returning to Mumbai Indians, co-owner Nita Ambani extended a warm welcome to him back to the franchise where he initially made his IPL debut and eventually established himself as an integral part of the Indian cricket team.
“We are thrilled to welcome Hardik back home! It’s a heartwarming reunion with our Mumbai Indians family! From being a young scouted talent of Mumbai Indians to now being a team India star, Hardik has come a long way and we’re excited for what the future holds for him and Mumbai Indians!” said Nita Ambani.

Who will lead Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024 – Rohit or Hardik?
Following their debut season under Hardik’s captaincy, Gujarat Titans won the IPL title in 2022, they made it to the final of the 2023 Indian Premier League, where they narrowly lost to Chennai Super Kings in a closely contested summit match at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
The senior national selection committee, recognising Hardik’s remarkable performance at Gujarat Titans, appointed him as the T20I captain in the absence of Rohit Sharma. With his meteoric rise, Hardik has emerged as a strong contender for India’s captaincy, especially with the T20 World Cup on the horizon.
As the anticipation builds for the captaincy role in the Mumbai Indians side, it remains uncertain whether Hardik or Rohit, who has been retained by MI, will lead the team.
The question of captaincy for Mumbai Indians adds an intriguing element, and fans will be eager to see how this dynamic unfolds in the upcoming IPL season.
(With IANS inputs)