Shami on Hardik Pandya Leaving GT: Full Reaction & Insight

Published May 29, 2026 · Updated August 03, 2026

Discover Shami's candid take on Hardik Pandya's exit from Gujarat Titans. Exclusive insights, team impact analysis, and what it means for GT's future. Read more

Shami : Captain [Hardik Pandya](/blog/hardik-pandya) quit Gujarat Titans (GT) before of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 to take the helm of Mumbai Indians (MI). The development caused a stir within the cricket community. Reactions to the discovery were varied among professionals and enthusiasts alike. Mohammed Shami, Pandya's former teammate, delivered an unvarnished assessment before to the new season.

What Mohammed Shami Said !

“Kisike jane se kisiko farak nahi padta (See, it doesn't matter who is leaving). You have to see the team's balance. Hardik was there, he captained us well. He took us to the final in both editions and we won once. But Gujarat hadn't signed Hardik for a lifetime. It's his decision to stay or leave. Shubman is made captain now, he will also gain experience. Some day, he might also leave. And it's a part of the game. Players come and go,” Shami told News24.

“When you become captain, it's important to handle the responsibility while taking care of your performances. And that responsibility has been assigned to Shubman this time. He might have some load in his mind, but the players are more or less the same. So he doesn't need to worry. You need to manage players well and extract the best out of your players,” he added.

It's critical to balance your focus to your performances with the responsibility that comes with being captain. And Shubman is the one assigned to that assignment this time. He could be bearing some weight even if the players are nearly identical. So he doesn't have to worry. You have to handle your guys well if you want to get the best out of them," he said.

In the upcoming  season, Shubman Gill will serve as the team's captain from Gujarat. Shubman Gill will get experience as well, and it's possible that he'll play for another team in the future. Mohammed Shami continued, "You can't stop anyone because it's all part of the game.

Pandya is noteworthy since he skippered GT to the finals the last two seasons. But Pandya pulled off an unexpected trade to rejoin MI.

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