With the franchises having announced their retention and release list on November 26th, Sunday, rumours regarding a massive development was finally confirmed. After days of speculation that ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya will move to Mumbai Indians, the Gujarat Titans confirmed their captain's retention. As a result, netizens have criticised PR agencies trying to deflect the attention from Team India's recent loss in the 2023 World Cup final.
Team India started as firm favourites to win the 2023 World Cup final against Australia at the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. However, Australia emerged as the better team across facets as they delivered a disciplined performance to seal their 6th 50-over title and stun a crowd of over 1,30,000 at the venue. Skipper Rohit Sharma faced backlash for throwing away a powerful start by playing a false short, leading to India finishing on a paltry 240 in their allotted 50 overs.
Meanwhile, ahead of the deadline for the announcement of retained and release list, reports emerged that Pandya is set to move to his old franchise for an all-cash deal of a staggering INR 15 crore. Fans were inevitably stunned, given the Baroda-born cricketer has had a successful stint as captain of the Titans, leading the franchise to a title win in his first year as captain. With the rumours proving to be false, fans have blamed it on trying to distract them from the World Cup loss.
Below are the fans' reactions to Hardik Pandya's confirmation of staying in the Gujarat Titans:
