Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday completed the transfer of team captain Hardik Pandya to his “alma mater” Mumbai Indians (MI) in an all cash deal. The Ahmedabad-based IPL franchise, owned by CVC Capital Partners, on Monday named Shubman Gill to lead the team in place of the 30-year-old all-rounder for the 2024 season of world cricket’s biggest annual property.
While concluding the transfer of Pandya, Reliance-owned MI traded Australian batting all-rounder Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), also in an all cash deal. The transfers of Pandya from GT to MI and Green from MI to RCB were concluded on Sunday (November 26), the last day for releases and retentions for IPL 2024.
While financial terms of the transfers were not disclosed, it bears noting that Pandya’s fee for the year stands at Rs 15 crore, and also that MI had paid Rs 17.5 cr to secure the services Green in the 2022 IPL auction.
Per Cricbuzz, both Pandya and Green were initially listed as retained players by their respective franchises – GT and MI. However, the transfers were executed “on the buzzer” as it were.
The official announcement came through an IPL media release issued Monday, confirming Pandya’s move to MI and Green’s shift to the RCB.
The release stated: “Gujarat Titans’ (GT) captain, Hardik Pandya, is set to move back to his first franchise, Mumbai Indians, following a trade between the two franchises. The all-rounder spent two momentous years with GT, spearheading their campaign with aplomb. In GT’s debut season in 2022, Hardik ensured a fairytale start, with the team lifting the coveted trophy, while they finished runners-up in their second season after a last-ball defeat in a thrilling final earlier this year.
“In a separate trade, MI all-rounder Cameron Green has been traded to Royal Challengers Bangalore. Green, who was bought for a whopping INR 17,50,00,000 at the auction last December, featured in 16 matches. The Australian had an impressive start to the IPL, hitting an unbeaten century and two half-centuries while also taking six wickets. Both trades have been carried out as per the existing player fees.”
Meanwhile, commenting on the appointment of Gill as GT captain, Vikram Solanki, the franchise’s director of Cricket, said: “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. His contribution on the field has helped Gujarat Titans emerge as a formidable force, guiding the team through a successful campaign in 2022 and a strong run in 2023. 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.”
