Hardik Pandya's potential return to Mumbai Indians has rocked social media as it will be the biggest trade in IPL history if it proceeds without any last-minute changes. Gujarat Titans captain spent six successful years with a Mumbai-based franchise and his trade has grasped the cricket fraternity with shock.
However, Hardik's move to Mumbai has left the fans guessing the logistics and details behind the unusual deal. ESPNcricinfo reports an all-cash deal of INR 15 crore plus an undisclosed sum to Gujarat Titans. That undisclosed amount and its role raises various questions among fans with many believing it is a 'transfer fee' to the selling side like football deals happen around the major leagues.
The former English cricketer Michael Vaughan also compared Hardik's deal to a 'football transfer' and said that it's inevitable. In football, a buying team pays a hefty transfer fee to a selling side and also offers a separate contract sum to the player. The details behind Hardik's potential move remain unclear as both Mumbai and Gujarat are yet to confirm or deny the trade.
"The Hardik Pandya move back to Mumbai. It’s clearly happening. The first sign of transfer fees in cricket like Football !!?? It’s inevitable it would happen soon," Michael Vaughan wrote in his Tweet.
Meanwhile, news of Hardik's trade to Mumbai emerged on Friday leading #HardikPandya and #IPLTrade trends on social media. Teams have till 4 PM on Sunday (November 26) to submit their list of retained players. IPL 2024 player auction is reportedly taking place in Dubai on December 19.
More to follow...
