India’s Arjuna Award-winning pace bowler, Mohammed Shami, has broken his silence on Hardik Pandya’s shocking move from Gujarat Titans to his former team, Mumbai Indians, ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

Shami, who played under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy for two seasons, said during an interview with Sports24, that it is only natural for well-performing players to switch franchises in the IPL, and it does not necessarily affect the team’s balance.

“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 won us the title in 2022. But Gujarat hadn’t signed Hardik for a lifetime. It’s his decision,” Shami told News24.

While acknowledging Pandya’s spell of success as the captain of Gujarat Titans, Shami talked about the responsibilities that fall on newly-chosen captain Shubman Gill and how the youngster has the talent to carry them out.

“Shubman has been made captain now, he will also gain experience. Some day, he might also leave. And it’s a part of the game. Players come and players go,” Shami added.

The IPL fandom along with the whole cricket world was left shocked when Mumbai Indians announced the money-heavy signing of their former all-rounder Hardik Pandya during the IPL 2024 player trading window in November. Following his move to his former side, Mumbai Indians dropped another shocker when they announced a change in captaincy, with Pandya taking over from the franchise’s long-successful captain, Rohit Sharma.

Hardik Pandya’s two-year stint at Gujarat Titans (2002-2023) brought immense success to the player, leading the side to an IPL title in the first and securing a runners-up finish in the following season. Pandya’s time with Gujarat Titans also proved intricate for his comeback into the national team, after a long injury.