Mumbai Indians have welcomed Pandya into their fold. "We are thrilled to welcome Hardik back home! It's a heart-warming reunion with our Mumbai Indians family! From being a young scouted talent of Mumbai Indians to now being a Team India star, Hardik has come a long way and we're excited for what the future holds for him and Mumbai Indians!" Akash Ambani, said, "Seeing Hardik back at Mumbai Indians makes me very happy. It is a happy homecoming. He provides great balance to any team he plays. Hardik's first stint with the MI family was hugely successful, and we hope he achieves even more success in his second stint.""Hardik's return marks his homecoming to the #OneFamily where he joins forces again with Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and the team. He first came to prominence for MI and then went on to debut for India in 2016," an MI release said.
Pandya was signed by the record-time IPL winners as an uncapped player for INR 10 lakh. Pandya was an integral part of Mumbai's championship-winning side back in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. However, the Indian all-rounder was released by Mumbai Indians in the build-up to the IPL 2022 mega auction. Making his captaincy debut following his departure from Mumbai Indians, Hardik masterminded Gujarat Titans' maiden title triumph in their first-ever IPL campaign in 2022.Under Hardik's leadership, Gujarat Titans also made it to the final of the IPL 2023 with eventual winners Chennai Super Kings. Though Pandya was in speculations about leaving GT for a move away to MI, the 30-year-old was retained by 2022 winners Gujarat Titans before the end of the IPL retention window on Sunday. As per the latest developments, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials have confirmed that MI struck an all-cash deal worth INR 15 crore to acquire the services of Pandya from GT for IPL 2024.In order to sign Pandya from Gujarat, the Mumbai Indians have also sanctioned another cash trade to send Australian all-rounder Cameron Green (INR 17.5 crore) to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). It should be noted that all 10 teams are allowed to trade players until December 12.
