No player transfer in the Indian Premier League has generated as much drama as Hardik Pandya’s move from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians.

The Indian all-rounder switched allegiance in 2024 in an all-cash trade and immediately assumed the Mumbai Indians captaincy.

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes the move may have been driven by factors beyond pure cricketing logic.

“Hardik Pandya [to MI] was a very interesting decision. I think sometimes the franchises make decisions that will be newsworthy and get the franchise in the spotlight because ultimately it’s a commercial brand. You can see the kind of valuations franchises are getting. So it may not even be a sound cricketing call,” said Manjrekar on Sportstar’s Insight Edge podcast.

Pandya had enjoyed tremendous success with Gujarat Titans, leading the side to the IPL title in 2022 and a runner-up finish in 2023.

Manjrekar, however, suggested that the Titans’ golden run owed significantly to head coach Ashish Nehra.

“Hardik Pandya had success with the Gujarat Titans, and that had a lot to do with somebody named Ashish Nehra. So maybe if you wanted Hardik Pandya, you could have also got Ashish Nehra with him,” said Manjrekar.

“Hardik Pandya, I believe, was brilliant because there was somebody next to him constantly with almost every move that he made on the field,” he added.

Pandya’s return to Mumbai Indians was also marked by controversy, with sections of fans turning against him after he replaced Rohit Sharma as captain.

Manjrekar suspects the move may have been influenced by a desire to create impact beyond the field.

“So it’s really not so much about Hardik Pandya, but the decision, whether it was a sensible decision or it was just somebody wanting to think out-of-the-box a little bit and doing something a little sensational.”

Published on Apr 20, 2026