With the conclusion of the 2023 World Cup earlier this month, the attention of the cricketing world has shifted towards the Indian Premier League (IPL).
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The franchises released their lists of retained and released players on 26 November, with the trading window remaining open until 12 December (one week before the mini-auction). A few prominent trades and releases have taken place already.
But one of the league's biggest-ever trades was confirmed earlier this week, as Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya returned to his first team, Mumbai Indians, in an all-cash deal. Hardik had been released by Mumbai in 2022, and joined GT when the franchise was first formed.
'Captaincy comes with loyalty' - Did Gujarat Titans' skipper Shubman Gill take a dig at Hardik Pandya?
Hardik led GT to the IPL title in 2022, before helping them qualify for the final in 2023, where they were defeated by the Chennai Super Kings. Upon his departure, Gujarat announced opening batter Shubman Gill as their new captain.
😍 From a dreamy eyed fanboy of the IPL to a captain of the Gujarat Titans! Aapdo Shubman is raring to own his latest designation! Hear his first words from a brand new chapter... 💙#TitansFAM, ready for a new era of leadership? 💙#AavaDe pic.twitter.com/vmIN7I4LQY
— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) November 29, 2023
In a video released by the team on Wednesday, Gill addressed the fans for the first time as skipper of the franchise. Some of his words in the address raised a few eyebrows, namely:
Obviously it's a dream for any kid who wants to be a cricketer and who wants to play in the IPL to be able to captain a team, to be able to be that kind of a binding factor in the team.
We all know captaincy comes with a lot of things, and commitment is one of them, discipline is one of them, hard work is one of them, and loyalty is one of them.
To many, it seemed as though Gill's last line was a shot at Hardik, who left the franchise after just two seasons. It had been widely reported that the trade took place as the player wanted to leave Gujarat and return to Mumbai, which could potentially have left a sour taste in the mouth.
MORE: Is trouble brewing between MI and their star bowler over Hardik Pandya move?
Hardik is rumoured to be next in line for the captaincy at Mumbai Indians, as current skipper Rohit Sharma is expected to hang up his boots in the next year or two.
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