The much-anticipated transfer of Hardik Pandya to Mumbai Indians has been successfully completed. In a noteworthy one-way, all-cash transaction, the 30-year-old all-rounder has officially returned to the franchise he won four titles with.
Simultaneously, Mumbai Indians have bolstered their financial position to afford the Pandya acquisition by trading Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bangalore in another all-cash transaction to the tune of INR 17.5 crore, the league value of the Australian all-rounder.
This financial maneuver not only facilitates the completion of the Pandya trade with Gujarat Titans but also positions the five-time champions with substantial resources for the upcoming IPL 2024 auction scheduled to take place in Dubai on December 19.
Cricbuzz can reliably confirm that the agreement has been formalised between all three franchises — namely Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The deals were inked on Sunday (November 26), the last day for the releases and retentions for IPL 2024. In the MI-GT transfer, there is no third player involved and similar is the case in the deal between MI and RCB.
According to insiders from the BCCI and IPL, a formal approval has been granted for these cash-only trades. While the specific value of the transaction remains undisclosed, it is noteworthy that Pandya’s league fee for the year stands at INR 15 crore.
The execution of these trades unfolded with some dramatic twists and turns as the retention deadline concluded at 5 PM IST on Sunday. Both Pandya and Green were initially listed as retained players by their original franchises – Gujarat and Mumbai. However, the transfers were executed after the retention deadline had passed.
As reported by Cricbuzz on Saturday, the trading window is open till one week before the auction, trades can be executed till December 12. But all three franchises concluded the transfer late on Sunday evening. Official announcements from the franchises and the BCCI regarding these transactions are expected soon.
