According to the report, Hardik had explored the option of returning to Gujarat Titans. Hardik’s return to GT was not completely impossible and the franchise had even discussed this possibility with its captain Shubman Gill.

Shubman Gill had given approval to return?

• Hardik Pandya captained Gujarat Titans and made the team champion in IPL 2022. After this, in 2023 also GT had traveled till the finals under his leadership.
• Before the 2024 season, Hardik returned to Mumbai Indians and the captaincy of GT was handed over to Shubman Gill. Gill played in GT under Hardik and took charge of the team after his departure.
• Now the report claims that when the possibility of Hardik’s return to GT was discussed with Gill, he agreed to this trade. That is, at the initial stage the path of Hardik’s comeback seemed open.

But the condition of captaincy changed the whole matter

The matter worsened when Hardik’s alleged demand for captaincy came to light. Quoting the Indian Express report, it has been said that GT Management and Shubman Gill were ready to take Hardik back into the team, but the condition of captaincy was not accepted.

According to a source, the franchise was ready for Hardik’s return. This was also discussed with captain Shubman Gill, but when the condition of captaincy came forward, everyone refused to accept it. This simply means that the possibility of Hardik’s return to GT stopped on the issue of captaincy.

Which teams is Hardik eyeing?

There have been continuous reports regarding Hardik Pandya’s separation from Mumbai Indians for some time now. There has also been speculation about his joining KKR and CSK. If Hardik goes to a new team and wants captaincy there, then Kolkata Knight Riders can be an option for him. KKR may also need a captaincy option in the coming times. However, it has not been decided yet that Hardik will join any franchise.

What did Hardik’s spokesperson say?

In this whole news, an important thing has come out from the spokesperson of Hardik Pandya. The spokesperson clarified that Hardik has not talked directly to any franchise. According to him, if there has been any contact from any team regarding Hardik, then that conversation has not taken place directly with the player, but through Mumbai Indians. After this statement, it is clear that many reports coming out regarding Hardik’s trade have not yet received official confirmation.

Why would Hardik’s return be special for GT?

Hardik Pandya has a very special history with Gujarat Titans. While captaining the team in 2022, he made GT the IPL champion in its very first season. The team also played the final in 2023. After this Hardik moved to Mumbai Indians, where he was given the responsibility of captaincy and Rohit Sharma stepped down from the captaincy. There was a lot of resentment among the fans over Hardik’s decision to become MI captain. The kind of support he got in GT was not created in Mumbai Indians.

Preparation for change in Mumbai Indians also

After IPL 2026, there is intense discussion about major changes in the team management of Mumbai Indians and the future of senior players. Reports have claimed that the franchise can prepare the team afresh before the next season. In such a situation, the future of Hardik Pandya also remains a big issue before IPL 2027.

At present the picture is that GT’s door was not completely closed for Hardik, but the condition of captaincy prevented a possible comeback. At the same time, Hardik’s spokesperson says that the player has not talked directly to any franchise. Therefore, it may take time for the final picture regarding the trade to emerge.