Hardik Pandya could be on the move back to Mumbai Indians in historic IPL player trade

India’s T20 captain, allrounder Hardik Pandya could possibly rejoin the Mumbai Indians for the 2024 Indian Premier League season, the team that started his IPL career.

The Press Trust of India and ESPN reported Pandya could be leaving the Gujarat Titans after two seasons and that his trade to Mumbai Indians is expected to be an all-cash deal worth $1.8 million. As part of the deal, Pandya could receive up to 50% of the transfer fee.

If completed, it will be the biggest player trade in IPL history. Hardik Pandya will be the third captain to be traded, following Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane, who were traded in 2020.

Although there has been no official confirmation of the trade from either team, it is expected to be finalized soon.

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Who is Hardik Pandya?

Hardik Pandya began his Indian Premier League career with Mumbai Indians in 2015. He spent seven years with Mumbai and won four titles in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020 before becoming the captain of Gujarat Titans in 2021. The Titans were allowed to choose three players from the pool released by other franchises before the mega auction, and they were fortunate enough to acquire Pandya.

Pandya shined for the Gujarat Titans and was a crucial player in the team winning the 2022 IPL title in their debut season. During his time at the Gujarat Titans, Hardik scored 833 runs in 30 innings.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pandya could return to Mumbai ahead of IPL 2024 Auctions