IPL: Gujarat Titans reject Hardik Pandya’s offer to return; where will Mumbai Indians captain head to?

Hardik Pandya has reportedly been rejected by the Gujarat Titans after the former GT captain sought a return. His demand for captaincy proved to be a dealbreaker for Gujarat, led by Shubman Gill.

Hardik Pandya currently captains the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. His stint there hasn't gone particularly well, though. First, fans did not appreciate his replacing Rohit Sharma. Secondly, MI failed to impress under Pandya’s captaincy. Pandya and Mumbai are now reportedly planning to part ways.

According to The Indian Express, Pandya held talks with the Gujarat Titans. He made his return conditional on regaining the captaincy. This condition ultimately caused the deal to collapse.

Gujarat Titans were initially open to bringing him back, according to the publication. They discussed this possibility with the current captain, Shubman Gill. Gill reportedly agreed that the franchise could trade for Pandya.

However, everything changed once captaincy became part of the discussion. A source told The Indian Express that everyone firmly rejected this condition.

“The franchise was fine with him making a return. They had even discussed the same with its captain, Shubman Gill, and he, too, had agreed that the franchise could trade him back. But when his condition of captaincy was put up, everyone said no to it,” the insider told the publication.

Pandya led the Gujarat Titans to IPL glory back in 2022. GT won the trophy in the franchise's very first season. The following year, it finished second. Pandya then moved to the Mumbai Indians in 2024.

Shubman Gill has since established himself as a reliable leader. He currently captains India across two different cricket formats. This includes the ongoing World Test Championship campaign presently.

He will also lead India during the 2027 ODI World Cup. Given this standing, Gujarat apparently want the leadership stability maintained. They appear reluctant to disrupt Gill's growing captaincy tenure.

This mirrors the complications the Mumbai Indians faced previously with Pandya himself. He was controversially handed captaincy back in 2023.

Hardik Pandya not leaving Mumbai?

According to Cricbuzz, the Mumbai Indians have been exploring trade options elsewhere, too. Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings remain interested parties. Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals have also been speculatively linked, the publication added.

Despite various discussions, no concrete trade deal has emerged yet. The Mumbai Indians haven't officially confirmed Pandya's availability for trading either. Cricbuzz sources indicate that he may not be traded at all.

However, calls have reportedly been exchanged between interested franchises regardless. These discussions remain at a fairly-preliminary stage at the moment, Cricbuzz reported.

Mumbai Indians may still consider retaining Pandya despite ongoing speculation. Alternatively, they could explore trading with the Delhi Capitals for Axar Patel.

Other potential trade scenarios include Rajasthan's Yashasvi Jaiswal or Lucknow's Nicholas Pooran, according to Cricbuzz.

If Hardik Pandya is looking for a leadership position, his best bets could be the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Lucknow Super Giants.

KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane has retired from all forms of cricket. LSG skipper Rishabh Pant has stepped down following the team’s lacklustre performance for two consecutive years.