In probably the biggest transfer of IPL history, Gujarat Titans' (GT) former skipper Hardik Pandya was traded back to the Mumbai Indians where his IPL journey started back in 2015. Hardik's transfer and the aftermath of it - him being named the captain of Mumbai Indians replacing Rohit Sharma - hasn't had a good look for either of the franchises, especially the Titans who lost their premier all-rounder and captain. While many criticised how the transfer took place, GT head coach Ashish Nehra didn't try to stop Hardik from making the move.
Nehra said had Pandya been going to some other franchise, he would have stopped him but since he had already played for Mumbai Indians for better part of his career, he didn't while mentioning that these kind of football-esque transfers will become normal in cricket too. Speaking at a media interaction in Ahmedabad on Saturday, March 16, Nehra said, "I never tried to convince Pandya to stay back. As you play more, you gain experience. I could have stopped him had he gone to any other franchise.
"He (Pandya) played here for two years but he has gone to a team (MI), where he has played previously for 5-6 years," Nehra was frank in his admission," Nehra added. "The manner in which the sport (cricket) is moving, we will have trades and transfers like we see in international soccer.
It's a new challenge for him and may be he will learn something new and we wish him the best," the head coach added.
Not just Hardik, the Titans will be also missing their highest wicket-taker from last year Mohammed Shami, who has been ruled out of IPL 2024 as he recovers from his heel surgery. Nehra said that the 2024 edition of the IPL will be a learning curve for GT and hopefully they will be able to get such performances from the rest of the squad.
"In any sport, you have to move on. You cannot buy experience and to replace someone like Hardik Pandya or (an injured) Mohammed Shami isn't going to be easy. But that's a learning curve and that's how team moves forward," Nehra said. Shubman Gill was named the new Titans skipper and it will be a huge season for the opening batter as in the absence of senior pros like Hardik and Shami, the franchise will look towards the 24-year-old not just to build the franchise and his own legacy but also with the bat too, having had a smashing year in 2023.
