Discussions surrounding a possible trade ahead of the IPL 2027 trading window were held between Pandya’s camp and GT. The franchise was reportedly open to bringing the all-rounder back, but talks stalled when captaincy became a non-negotiable condition.
Shubman Gill, who currently leads Gujarat Titans, is also a key part of India’s leadership setup. With Gill captaining India in Tests and recently being handed the ODI captaincy ahead of the 2027 World Cup, GT were unwilling to replace him as their franchise captain.
A source quoted by The Indian Express claimed that the franchise was comfortable with Pandya returning and that Gill had also agreed to a potential trade. However, the captaincy condition ultimately ended the discussions.
Pandya’s spokesperson, however, denied that the all-rounder had directly spoken to any franchise regarding a transfer or trade, stating that any approach would have been made through Mumbai Indians.
Pandya has a strong history with Gujarat Titans. He led the franchise to the IPL title in their debut season in 2022 and guided them to the runners-up spot in 2023 before returning to Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2024 season.
His proposed reunion with GT now appears unlikely unless the captaincy issue is resolved.
