Mumbai made a big decision for Hardik's return, had to empty their pockets, and this player also had to say goodbye!
PC: Timesnews
The day of 26 November 2023 will always be remembered in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). It's not because a team won a championship or a player set any notable records on the field. Instead, it's because three teams engaged in one of the most sensational trading deals ever seen in the IPL. After leading the Gujarat Titans for two consecutive years, Hardik Pandya has surprised everyone by returning to his former team Mumbai Indians. Apart from this, another surprising deal happened, in which Mumbai Indians traded Australian all-rounder Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The news of Hardik Pandya's return to Mumbai Indians has been doing the rounds for the last three days, which has created suspense for everyone. On Sunday, 26 November, the day of the player retention deadline, it was expected that the deal would be finalized. However, Gujarat Titans again turned it into drama by including the captain's name in the list of retained players. Just two hours after this announcement, Hardik's return to Mumbai was confirmed.
The big challenge for Mumbai:
According to reports, the deal between Mumbai and Gujarat regarding Hardik's return has been completed. However, to complete the deal, Mumbai had to spend Rs 15 crore from its salary purse, which was Hardik's salary with Gujarat Titans. After releasing some players, Mumbai was left with only Rs 15.25 crore. In such a situation, it seemed impossible for Mumbai to acquire Hardik and buy new players in the auction.
To get Hardik back into the team after being forced to leave Cameron Green, Mumbai went the extra mile and in the process, took the bold step of trading their most expensive player Cameron Green. According to reports, Mumbai handed Green to Royal Challengers Bangalore in an all-cash deal. The move saved Rs 17.50 crore in Mumbai's auction purse, paving the way for the franchise to bring back Hardik and participate in the auction.
Last season, Mumbai had bought the young Australian all-rounder for Rs 17.50 crore. The auction for Cameron Green was extremely competitive between Mumbai and Bangalore, but ultimately Bangalore had to withdraw. Now after just one season, Bangalore's wish has been fulfilled. In the last IPL season, Green averaged 50 and scored 452 runs in 16 matches with a strike rate of 160. During this, he also scored a brilliant century and also took 6 wickets.