Mohammed Shami’s honest and brutal response to Hardik Pandya’s transition from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024.
India’s bowling maestro, Mohammed Shami, has shared his thoughts on Hardik Pandya’s decision to move from Gujarat Titans (GT) to Mumbai Indians (MI) for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Despite Pandya’s significant contributions to GT in the past two seasons, including leading them to victory in 2022, the all-rounder has chosen to return to MI, where he was traded before the auctions and subsequently appointed as captain.
While Pandya served as the captain for GT in both IPL seasons they participated in, Shami believes that the departure of one player does not have a significant impact on others, stating, ‘Kisi ke jane se kisi ko fark nahi padta’ (The departure of someone doesn’t make a difference to someone else).
Under Pandya’s leadership, GT emerged as a strong contender, securing the IPL title in 2022 and reaching the final in 2023. Pandya demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, making significant contributions with both bat and ball. In 2022, he topped the run-scoring charts for GT, accumulating 487 runs and claiming eight wickets. In 2023, he continued his impactful contributions, scoring 346 runs and taking three wickets.
With Pandya’s move, Shubman Gill has been named as the new captain for GT, and Shami, known for his stellar performances in the past two IPL editions, is expected to play a crucial role in the team’s success. Shami secured 20 wickets in IPL 2022 and improved his performance in 2023, claiming an impressive tally of 28 wickets.