Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings have agreed one of the biggest trades in IPL history, with star all-rounder Hardik Pandya set to join Punjab Kings and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh moving to Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL 2027 mini-auction.
An IPL source confirmed the deal to news agency PTI on Friday evening. “The trade has been completed. Hardik is going to Punjab Kings and Arshdeep is moving to Mumbai Indians. Hardik is happy to play under Shreyas Iyer,” the source said. The swap will, however, require ratification from the BCCI before it becomes official.
The move brings an end to Hardik’s second stint with Mumbai Indians. He returned to the franchise ahead of the 2024 season as captain, replacing long-serving skipper Rohit Sharma, but the homecoming did not go to plan — the five-time champions failed to qualify for the play-offs twice in the three seasons since he took over the leadership. At Punjab, Hardik will play strictly as a player under Shreyas Iyer, who will continue as captain.
Punjab would be the third IPL franchise of Hardik’s career, after Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans, whom he led to the title in their debut season in 2022. Punjab will hope his all-round abilities strengthen a side that reached its first IPL final since 2014 last year under Shreyas, before a dramatic dip in the second half of the 2026 season cost them a play-off berth. Hardik has not played competitive cricket since the previous IPL season due to multiple injury setbacks.
For Punjab, parting with Arshdeep was not an easy call. The left-arm quick has had a long association with the franchise, and his performances in the IPL helped him break into the international setup, where he is currently India’s leading wicket-taker in the shortest format. “It was the decision of the captain and the coach to trade Hardik for Arshdeep, who has been with Punjab Kings for a very long time and has become the player he is today following his success with the franchise,” the IPL source said. “For the owners, it was not an easy decision considering how Arshdeep has risen and performed so well for the franchise.”
The trade comes with the BCCI extending the player retention deadline to November 17, giving both franchises time to complete the formalities ahead of the mini-auction in Goa on December 16. Punjab could also release Marcus Stoinis and Nehal Wadhera before the deadline, as the franchise reshapes its squad around Shreyas and its new marquee all-rounder.
If ratified, the swap immediately becomes the headline deal of the IPL 2027 trade window — a former Mumbai captain heading north, and India’s premier T20 fast bowler heading to the Wankhede.
Related: Punjab Kings Lead Race for Hardik Pandya Trade as Faf du Plessis Predicts New IPL Captains — https://t20star.com/punjab-kings-lead-race-for-hardik-pandya-trade-as-faf-du-plessis-predicts-new-ipl-captains/
Related: CSK Sign Livingstone and Edwards in Four-Player Trade as SRH Land Khaleel and Ellis Ahead of IPL 2027 — https://t20star.com/csk-sign-livingstone-and-edwards-in-four-player-trade-as-srh-land-khaleel-and-ellis-ahead-of-ipl-2027/
