Ashish Nehra opens up about Hardik Pandya’s departure from Gujarat Titans
Gujarat will be led by Shubman Gill who replaces Hardik Pandya at the helm of affairs.
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Dec 21, 2023 11:06 pm
Ashish Nehra and Hardik Pandya (Source – Twitter)
Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of chatter about Hardik Pandya being traded from the Gujarat Titans to the Mumbai Indians. It was the major talking point ahead of the IPL auction with fans and pundits alike deliberating upon the possible reasons behind Pandya’s departure from a franchise where he has been hugely successful, both as a player and captain.
In what is a statement that has finally provided clarity to the masses, Gujarat Titans’ head coach, Ashish Nehra has opened up about his captain and marquee player’s exit. Nehra has said that Pandya’s return to Mumbai Indians should not have been surprising since he had played for the 5-time champions for a long time before landing a deal with the Titans. Nehra also said that Pandya had expressed his desire to return to MI. He also emphasized that the Titans did not try to stop him as it would have been against their principles and nature.
“Hardik Pandya has not gone back to a team that has caused a huge surprise. He played for that team for so many years, he showed his desire to go back there. Our management’s nature is such that, we think if a player wants to go there, right,” he said.
“It will be difficult to make up”
However, Nehra admitted that Pandya’s departure has created a huge hole in the team and that it will not be an easy one to fill considering the all-rounder’s experience and skills. “Replacing someone like Hardik Pandya is difficult, but we tried our best. Having a size of 25 members is a luxury. We got a great all-rounder like Omarzai, we also got Shahrukh Khan. But it will be difficult to make up for somebody like Hardik who has that much talent and that much experience. It is what it is. With the resources we have, we will try and do our best,” he said.
Under Pandya, the Titans emerged victorious in their very first IPL appearance in 2022. Then in 2023, they came close to defending their title before falling just short in a Final which went down to the last delivery. It will be interesting to see how they fare without the services of their sensational skipper.
