Former Australia national cricket team player Brad Hogg made a sensational statement ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, saying that Hardik Pandya’s absence would not hurt former IPL champions Gujarat Titans (GT ).
Ahead of the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League, the biggest trade deal in the history of the competition took place when Gujarat Titans (GT) traded their IPL-winning captain Hardik Pandya to Mumbai Indians (MI ).
The trade deal came as a big surprise to the cricket world as Hardik was the active captain of the franchise and had two exceptionally good seasons with the Gujarat Titans (GT) since joining the team in 2022.
In his first stint as captain in IPL, Hardik led GT to the title in 2022 before leading them to the final in the 2023 season. After releasing Hardik, the Ahmedabad-based franchise decided to hand over the leadership to star batsman Shubman Gill.
Meanwhile, the return to Mumbai Indians (MI) is a great homecoming for Hardik Pandya as he started his IPL career with the franchise and performed well for them, which also opened the doors for his selection in the Indian National Cricket Team.
I really don’t think Hardik Pandya is that big of a loss – Brad Hogg
In a video shared on his official YouTube channel, Brad Hogg spoke about how the Gujarat Titans (GT) let Hardik Pandya go. He opined that the off-roader’s absence will not have any major impact on the franchise and even claimed that GT is a better unit without Hardik. He said:
“I don’t think Hardik Pandya is such a big loss (for GT). Yes, he is a quality all-rounder in the middle order, but they can cover him. They have very good bowling depth there. He was batting in the top order but I don’t think he was best suited there, so Gujarat Titans are better off without him.”
After signing Hardik, Mumbai Indians (MI) named him the new captain, replacing the most successful captain in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rohit Sharma. The decision came as a big shock to the fans, who criticized the franchise for disrespecting a champion captain like Rohit, who brought all the success to the franchise.
Meanwhile, Brad Hogg further stated that Hardik is more suited for the finisher’s role and has a chance to play it in MI, unlike in GT where he used to bat in the top and middle order. The former Australia cricketer opined that the best of Hardik the finisher will be seen in IPL 2024. He said:
“Mumbai would be better off if they had an Indian all-round batsman in the lower-middle order and I think that is where Hardik will bat. I think we will see Hardik get back to his best with the Mumbai Indians.”
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 will begin on March 22 with the clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Chepauk. Hardik and his troops will be seen in action on March 24 when they take on the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in A.humidabad.