The five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, Mumbai Indians (MI) have announced that they have traded in the Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper, Hardik Pandya.
Along with this, MI have released Jofra Archer and Cameron Green, who were bought for INR 17.5 crore and INR 8 crore, respectively, to make the Hardik deal possible.
📢 Announced!
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The total salary of Pandya, i.e. INR 15 crore will now be paid by the Paltans and the same amount will be added to GT’s salary cap prior to the auction, which is slated to take place in Dubai on December 19.
MI’s pursuit of Pandya seems to be long-term planning as the 30-year-old could replace the current MI skipper, Rohit Sharma, in the future IPL seasons.
Pandya started out as a promising young player in MI and was a part of Mumbai’s most dominant years before helping the Titans win the coveted championship in their first season.
Green had a respectable IPL 2023 for MI, amassing 452 runs at an average of 50.22 in 16 games and claiming six wickets. However, to get Hardik, the Rohit-led franchise had no choice but to let go of the powerful Aussie all-rounder in order to improve their balance.
Conversely, Archer had a forgettable IPL 2023 season. The English fast bowler, who showcased excellent form for Rajasthan Royals (RR), did not perform well for MI. Prior to returning home owing to injury concerns, he took two wickets at a costly economy rate of 9.50 in five games.