Would Hardik Pandya have been bigger at Gujarat Titans instead of Mumbai Indians?

Hardik Pandya is among the best all-rounders to represent India. He started his Indian Premier League (IPL) career with the Mumbai Indians (MI) before moving to Gujarat Titans (GT). However, the star returned to MI after two seasons.

Hardik was roped in by MI for his base price of INR 10 lakh at the 2015 IPL auction. He continued with the franchise from 2015 to 2021, a stint during which he made his international debut and in no time cemented his place across formats. Hardik won the IPL four times — 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020 with MI, making important contributions in all of their triumphant campaigns.

Ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, Hardik dropped a bombshell, parting ways with MI. He joined debutants Gujarat Titans for a whopping INR 15 crore at the pre-auction draft. The Baroda all-rounder was appointed captain of the team, and it led to instant success. GT won the title in its maiden appearance in the league, and Hardik received a lot of praise for how he led the team from the front.

In the following season, Hardik led his team to a final, where the Titans lost to Chennai Super Kings off the final ball of the match. He had also started leading India in the white-ball formats, more often in T20Is.

Ahead of IPL 2024, Hardik decided to return to his first IPL franchise — Mumbai Indians — replacing Rohit Sharma as the captain of the side. This move was met with severe outrage from the fans. From mass protests online to jeers on the field during MI's matches, Hardik had to face the heat from Rohit's fans, who felt that the then India captain wasn't given the proper respect he deserved after leading the franchise to five titles.

Mumbai finished last on the points table in Hardik's comeback season at MI, adding to his woes. However, he managed to win back the hearts of the fans with his excellent all-round performances during India's triumph at the 2024 T20 World Cup. When Rohit retired from T20Is after the marquee event, Hardik was expected to take charge. However, Suryakumar Yadav was named as the Indian captain in the shortest format.

Ahead of IPL 2025, a section of the cricket fraternity felt that MI would appoint Suryakumar as the captain, as he was already leading India in T20 cricket. However, they gave Hardik another season to prove his mettle and he took MI to the playoffs, where they bowed out in Qualifier 2.

Would Hardik Pandya have been bigger at Gujarat Titans instead of Mumbai Indians?

This is a very interesting question which can be answered in many ways. Had Hardik been a part of the Titans' franchise, he would have been able to shape the legacy of it, having taken charge from a clean slate. He had already done a phenomenal job, helping the team reach two finals in consecutive seasons. The 32-year-old had also formed magnificent camaraderie with head coach Ashish Nehra, and they were working in tandem to take the Titans to great heights.

However, moving back and taking charge of the joint-most successful franchise in IPL history meant that he had the pressure of expectations breathing down his neck. Reaching the playoffs may be considered a successful season at many franchises, but that is not the case at MI. The management as well as fans are always hungry for trophies, and such an environment might help a player push himself harder, but sometimes the relentless pressure to succeed can bog them down.

Hardik had two remarkable seasons for GT with the bat, scoring 833 runs at a healthy average and strike rate. However, his form dipped concerningly after shifting base to MI in 2024. Had he continued with GT, the continuity could have helped him.

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Hardik, however, is someone who always embraces challenges. Having been in charge of the side for two seasons at MI, the Choryasi-born would love to take his team the distance in the upcoming season in 2026.