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SPORTS MARCH 22, 2024 | The Indian Eye 46

IPL 2024

Challenge for GT as Hardik

Pandya heads to MI and Shami

out of action due to injury

The Baroda-born cricketer is set to captain Mumbai Indians (MI), replacing their five-time Indian

Premier League (IPL) trophy-winning skipper Rohit Sharma in the 2024 season of the cash-rich league

OUR BUREAU
Mumbai
he 17th season of the Indian
Premier League (IPL) will
Tstart from March 22, with de-
fending champions Chennai Super
Kings (CSK) set to clash with Royal
Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in a
South Indian derby at their home
arena--MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Gujarat Titans head coach Ash-
ish Nehra opened up about replac-
ing two key players - Hardik Pandya
and Mohammed Shami ahead of the
upcoming Indian Premier League
2024 season. In two years of GT’s
IPL journey, Shami and Pandya have
played a crucial role in guiding the
franchise to back-to-back finals.
However, Pandya traded to five-
time champions Mumbai Indians and
Shami being ruled out of the entire
tournament after undergoing surgery
on his Achilles tendon, GT will miss
two key players in their playing XI.
Nehra talked about replacing
the experience and talent that both
players offer to the squad ahead of Hardik Pandya in action (ANI)
the new season and feels that players
like Umesh Yadav and Sai Kishore like I said, we have enough people, glimpses of his true potential by Pandya, in a video, talked about the
will get the opportunity to step in and Umesh Yadav, again a guy who has playing some influential knocks for feeling of wearing the Blue colours of
perform for the team. been playing IPL [for] 10-12 years. Punjab Kings. He mainly appeared the franchise, describing it as “really
“In any sport, you have to move Sai Kishore, he didn’t play last year, playing the role of a finisher. Nehra special”.
on. You can’t buy experience to re- but he’s been doing so well. So every talked about Shahrukh’s role and Pandya stated that he started his
place Hardik, Shami, it’s not going year, you will see new guys and you stated that the fans are going to see journey from here and coming back
to be easy. But there’s the learning have to believe in yourself and pre- him as the “main actor.” and playing for the team is special for
curve. Every year, new guys come pare for that,” Nehra said as quoted him. Later on in the video he spoke
and they step in and that’s how teams from ESPNcricinfo. “WEARING BLUE COLOUR IS about bowling coach Lasith Malinga
move forward. In IPL, every team One of the notable names GT SPECIAL FOR ME”: HARDIK and the head coach Mark Boucher.
has the luxury of 25 players. It’s a acquired during the IPL 2024 auction “The feeling of wearing blue co-
12-person game, but you are talking was Shahrukh Khan. The 28-year-old head of the Indian Premier lour is really special for me. Journey
about Hardik Pandya and Shami was acquired for a hefty price tag of League (IPL) 2024, star started here. Coming back and play-
- to fill those shoes is not easy. But Rs 7.4 crore. Last year he showed AIndia all-rounder Hardik Continued on next page... >>

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