‘Kisiko Fark Nahi Padta, Someday Gill Might Also Leave’: Star Pacer On Hardik Pandya Leaving Gujarat Titans

Before heading to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, the fans witnessed a massive vicissitude when Hardik Pandya left Gujarat Titans to join his previous franchise Mumbai Indians as captain. The development took the followers of both franchises by surprise. While a section of MI supporters was taken aback by the fact that Rohit won’t lead the side anymore, the GT fans were disappointed to lose a title-winning skipper Pandya.

Following Pandya’s departure, the Titans named young batter Shubman Gill as their next captain. Meanwhile, the team’s star pacer Mohammed Shami shared his perspective on this massive changeover. Speaking with News24, right-arm quick stated that such moves are common in a player’s professional journey.

“Kisike jane se kisiko farak nahi padta (See, it doesn’t matter who is leaving). You have to see the team’s balance. Hardik was there, he captained us well. He took us to the final in both editions and we won once. But Gujarat hadn’t signed Hardik for a lifetime. It’s his decision to stay or leave. Shubman is made captain now, he will also gain experience. Someday, he might also leave. And it’s a part of the game. Players come and go,” Shami told News24.

The veteran pacer further said that a skipper needs to take care of his and his own performance at the same time. He added that Gill might have some ‘mental load’ but the youngster need not worry.

“When you are captain, it’s important to handle the responsibility while taking care of your performances. And that responsibility has been assigned to Shubman this time. He might have some load in his mind, but the players are more or less the same. So he doesn’t need to worry. You need to manage players well and extract the best out of your players.”

Gill had a terrific season last year for the Gujarat Titans, scoring a massive 890 runs in 17 matches and winning the Orange Cap. He was among the top scorers of the side in the franchise’s debut year, in 2022. He accumulated 483 runs in 16 games, ending IPL 2022 as the 5-highest run-getter in the season.