" No Hardik to tell..": Former India star reveals why Pandya's exit is a blessing in disguise for Gujarat Titans

Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya's switch from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians ahead of the Indian Premier League League (IPL 2024) caused quite a stir. Pandya's absence was expected to be felt, given he led the franchise to their maiden IPL title in the debut season. 

However, following Pandya's exit, a former India pacer has opined that the decision can work out in favour of Gujarat Titans and can be a blessing in disguise for the franchise. 

Echoing on the same lines, India's 2007 T20 WC star Sreesanth said on Fancode.“There is no Hardik in Gujarat to tell the bowlers what to bowl,” 

“Sometimes you need to give the bowler that freedom to bowl. This time the captain is Gill, and I’m sure Ashish bhai (Ashish Nehra) will say let them bowl. Bowlers will also take responsibility with a young captain and sometimes, this is the advantage of having a young captain,” Sreesanth said.

Hardik Pandya yet to register his first win as Mumbai Indians skipper

Hardik Pandya led the Gujarat franchise to victory in their inaugural IPL season and also guided the team to the final last year but was traded to the Mumbai Indians in a controversial move prior to last December's auction in Dubai.

Upon joining the Mumbai Indians, Pandya was entrusted with the captaincy, a decision that sparked considerable debate among the fans, especially given the long-standing captaincy of Rohit Sharma. Pandya was one of the key players in the Mumbai Indians squad who played a role in four of the Mumbai franchise’s IPL trophies.

ALSO READ: ‘He will be Booed Louder at Wankhede’ - Former cricketer’s shocking statement on Hardik Pandya

However, Pandya's tenure did not get off the way he would have liked it as the Mumbai Indians suffered a narrow six-run defeat in their opening match of the IPL 2024 season.

For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and YouTube.