In anticipation of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Ashish Nehra, the pinnacle coach of Gujarat Titans (GT), supplied insights into the departure of their former captain, Hardik Pandya. The dynamic Indian all-rounder, Hardik, opted to make a return to the Mumbai Indians (MI) by means of an all-cash commerce deal finalized forward of the mini-auction held in December 2023.
Hardik Pandya’s return to Mumbai Indians
After rejoining MI, Hardik assumed the function of captain, taking up from the franchise’s most profitable chief, Rohit Sharma, who clinched a report 5 championships throughout his tenure. Initially acquired by GT within the 2022 version through the pre-auction draft after being launched by MI, the 30-year-old had been an integral a part of the Mumbai-based franchise for the reason that IPL 2015 public sale.
He performed a pivotal function in MI’s title victories in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2020 earlier than parting methods with the workforce. In IPL 2022, Pandya led GT to a title triumph of their inaugural season. Regardless of his departure from the franchise forward of the 2024 version, Hardik’s contributions have been instrumental in guiding the Titans to the ultimate within the 2023 IPL season.
Ashish Nehra’s reflection on Hardik’s departure
Nehra overtly acknowledged that he kept away from persuading Hardik in opposition to rejoining the Mumbai. Nevertheless, Nehra conceded that the workforce would sorely miss Pandya’s wealth of expertise within the forthcoming IPL season, slated to start on March 22.
“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 was quoted as saying by The Instances of India.
Additionally READ: IPL 2024: 5 gamers who can exchange Mohammed Shami in Gujarat Titans’ squad
Nehra explains why he chooses to not persuade Hardik
The profitable partnership between Hardik and Nehra had been evident in GT’s preliminary two seasons, prompting hypothesis about whether or not the pinnacle coach made efforts to dissuade the captain from becoming a member of the Mumbai.
“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,” the 44-year-old added.
Speculations and visions for the way forward for IPL
Reflecting on Pandya’s switch, Nehra expressed his perception that the IPL could ultimately undertake a construction akin to European membership soccer.
“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,” Nehra concluded.