# Hardik Pandya trade talks with Gujarat Titans collapse over captaincy demand 2026-08-13T05:43:11+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Hardik Pandya's attempt to return to Gujarat Titans (GT) has failed after he insisted on being reinstated as captain, Times of India reports. GT were willing to bring back the all-rounder but would not replace current captain Shubman Gill. Pandya, 32, captained GT to the title in 2022 and the final in 2023 before moving to Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2024. Meanwhile, Rediff reports MI are undecided on trading Pandya, with Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders showing preliminary interest but no firm offers. Pandya, who managed 206 runs and 4 wickets in IPL 2026 as MI finished 9th, is now training at the BCCI Centre of Excellence and expected to be available for India's T20I series against Afghanistan from September 13. Pandya's future at MI remains uncertain after three turbulent seasons. MI batting coach Kieron Pollard recently declined to guarantee Pandya's captaincy continuation following another poor campaign. GT's unwillingness to trade captaincy suggests Pandya may need to accept a non-leadership role to move franchises. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com - rediff.com Tags: captaincy, Gujarat Titans, Hardik Pandya, IPL, Mumbai Indians, Shubman Gill Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/hardik-pandyas-gt-return-collapses-over-captaincy-demand/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/hardik-pandyas-gt-return-collapses-over-captaincy-demand/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.