The 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, the 17th edition of the tournament, will kick off with Royal Challengers Bangalore facing defending champions Chennai Super Kings as the IPL 2024 schedule was announced on Thursday. Many fans and experts picked out the Mumbai Indians versus Gujarat Titans as the must-see clash from the opening week of clashes. The reason is simple – the return of Hardik Pandya with MI to face GT.
Two seasons back, Hardik was not retained by MI and was picked up by GT to lead their new side and the Indian star all-rounder led the Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in 2022 and finished last year’s runner-up.
Ahead of the start of IPL 2024, Hardik Pandya made a stunning comeback to Mumbai Indians and replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain. Gujarat Titans promoted Shubman Gill to lead the side.
Former India batter Aakash Chopra though said on JioCinema that he hopes that the Ahmedabad crowd boos Hardik Pandya, explaining how he had witnessed something similar as a player back in 2008.
“I want Hardik Pandya to get booed in Ahmedabad. I’ll tell you why. First IPL season, Mumbai vs Kolkata. We were playing at the Wankhede Stadium. Ajit Agarkar was in our team and we had to take him off the boundary because he was Mumbai’s boy, playing against Mumbai, in Mumbai and getting booed by the Wankhede crowd. So we put him back inside the circle because it was not nice,” Chopra was quoted as saying on JioCinema during the IPL 2024 schedule announcement on Thursday.
IPL 2024 – Gujarat Titans Schedule and Mumbai Indians Schedule
“Now Hardik Pandya goes to Mumbai after winning the championship once, leading the team to the final the next time. And not just that but choosing to leave the franchise. If there isn’t any heartburn in the public of Ahmedabad, if they don’t feel hurt, where is the fun? I am expecting. No, I am hoping – don’t tell anyone – that Hardik goes for the toss and people go ‘Boo’. That’s where the league matures,” he added.
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