Hardik Pandya Wants Gujarat Titans Return, His 'Condition' Turns Deal-Breaker: Report

Another twist has emerged in the tale of Hardik Pandya's Indian Premier League (IPL) future. The all-rounder, who is keen to move on from the Mumbai Indians, has reportedly held talks with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) over a trade ahead of the 2027 season. However, it has now been reported that Hardik also offered himself to the Gujarat Titans, the franchise with whom he spent a couple of years before returning to MI. While GT were said to be open to welcoming him back to the team, his condition of being given the franchise's captaincy has turned into a deal-breaker.

In a report by the Indian Express, the Gujarat Titans even discussed the prospect of bringing Hardik back to the franchise with skipper Shubman Gill, who also gave his green light. But, as soon as Hardik put forth the condition for his return - being named the captain - every single person involved in the decision-making process said "No".

"The franchise was fine with him making a return. They had even discussed the same with their 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 paper quoted a source as saying.

When Hardik's spokesperson was contacted for a comment on the matter, it was clarified that the player himself didn't hold talks with any franchise directly. The communication, so far, has only been directed through the Mumbai Indians.

"Hardik Pandya had no direct conversation with any franchise whatsoever regarding a transfer, trade, or otherwise. If any approach has been made to him, that has been directed to the MI franchise," Pandya's spokesperson said.

Hardik famously led the Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in 2022. He also captained the franchise to the final in the next season. The following campaign, he returned to the Mumbai Indians.

Hardik struggled to get the sort of acceptance among MI fans that he enjoyed at GT, as he replaced the Mumbai franchise's poster boy, Rohit Sharma, as the captain right after his arrival. It has also been said that Hardik doesn't hold the same stature in the MI dressing room that his predecessor Rohit did as the captain.

Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, are looking to rebuild their squad after the coaching staff called many senior players "uncoachable" following the conclusion of the IPL 2026 season. Ahead of this year's auction, MI are expected to let go of many senior players, including skipper Hardik.

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Topics mentioned in this article

Gujarat Titans Mumbai Indians Hardik Pandya Cricket