Will Hardik Pandya's inclusion work as advantage or disadvantage for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024?

Five-time winners Mumbai Indians were able to pull off a brilliant full-cash trade of Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, captain of the Gujarat Titans, ahead of the IPL 2024 mini-auction. The INR 15 crore deal is anticipated to be the driving force behind the franchise in the upcoming season. Shubman Gill was named the Titans' new captain following Hardik Pandya's exit. 

3 things you need to know 

• Hardik Pandya led Gujarat Titans to the title in their debut season
• Pandya also took the Titans to the final of the IPL 2023 but lost to Chennai Super Kings
• Pandya began his IPL career with Mumbai Indians in 2015

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Will Hardik Pandya's addition to Mumbai Indians harm the franchise?

Even though the Mumbai Indians have well-known players like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav, they don't have a perfect candidate who could take over as captain. Now that Hardik Pandya has returned, they can develop the all-round player and turn him into the team's captain. Pandya is a good fit for the captaincy role because of his stellar track record leading both the Indian team and the IPL. In addition to offering the team a captaincy option, Hardik Pandya will provide a strong option with the bat and the ball, giving Mumbai Indians an excellent balance. 

With the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and Jasprit Bumrah available in the team's batting and bowling lineup, Hardik Pandya won't, however, significantly hurt the combination. 

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What has been the role of Mumbai Indians in shaping Hardik Pandya's career? 

Hardik Pandya was roped in by Mumbai Indians for a base price of INR 10 lakh in the year 2015. Pandya showed his talent in one of the world's biggest T20 leagues, due to which he also earned an India call-up. After being picked for the Indian team, Pandya became the real match-winner for the ‘Men in Blue’ due to which the major reason was the performance he did for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.