Mumbai Indians paid tribute to Hardik Pandya after the all-rounder was picked by the Ahmedabad team ahead of the IPL 2022 auction. He was also named the captain by the franchise.

New team Ahmedabad picking Hardik Pandya as on one of their draft picks means all-rounder’s stint with five-time champions Mumbai Indians came to an end. 

There’s no doubt Mumbai Indians is the one team that believes in turning youngsters into superstars by giving them the desired support and backing them. The Rohit Sharma-led team undoubtedly finds the best out of them and gives them the license to express themselves. 

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The way the franchise owners nurture their players has been spot on and one such success story is of Hardik Pandya. The all-rounder was bought in 2015 for a base price of INR 10 lakhs only. Since then he has risen in ranks and has turned into a completely different cricketer. 

The 28-year-old from time to time proved his mettle and won many matches on his own for Mumbai Indians and has played a pivotal role in their title victories in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. 

The all-rounder was not retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2022 auction as they went in for Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Kieron Pollard from their current squad. 

With his exit from Mumbai Indians, the franchise took to their official Twitter account and paid tribute to him. They also wished him luck for his future with the Ahmedabad team. 

"Good luck, Kung Fu Pandya! See you on the other side,” Mumbai Indians tweeted. 

Ahmedabad signed Hardik Pandya for INR 15 Crores. Apart from Pandya, Rashid Khan (INR 15 Crores) and Shubman Gill (INR 8 Crores) were the other two draft picks of the franchise.