Hardik Pandya returned to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for the first time since completing a sensational trade from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2024. Following the trade, Hardik replaced Rohit Sharma as the MI skipper and the game against GT on Sunday was also his first at the helm of the five-time champions. There was a lot of noise from the crowd when MI skipper Hardik and GT skipper Shubman Gill came out for the toss and some users on the social media believe that the all-rounder was booed heavily by the Ahmedabad crowd.
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and decided to field in their opening match of the Indian Premier League 2024 against his former side Gujarat Titans on Sunday.
"We are gonna bowl first. Looks like a decent track, might get better if the dew arrives. Feels good to be back. My birthplace is Gujarat, a lot of success came in Gujarat, very grateful to the crowd and this state. My cricketing birth happened in Mumbai, so really good to be be back. It's been almost two weeks, we started the camp. Boys are very eager to go out there and perform."
"We had wonderful practice matches and practice nets. All are looking good. The excitement is a different feeling. We have four quicks, three spinners and seven batters. Making sure all the departments are looked after," Hardik said at the toss.
The one-time IPL winners Gujarat Titans handed caps to three players -- senior India pacer Umesh Yadav, Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai and Australian fast bowler Spencer Johnson -- before the toss.
On the other hand, Mumbai Indians filled three of their four overseas players slots with Australia's Tim David, South Africa's Gerald Coetzee and England's Luke Wood while all-rounder Shams Mulani also makes his debut.
Teams:
Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill (c), B Sai Sudharsan, Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Umesh Yadav, Sai Kishore, Spencer Johnson.
Mumbai Indians: Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Shams Mulani, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chala, Jasprit Bumrah, Luke Wood.
(With PTI inputs)