IPL: Hardik Pandya traded to Punjab Kings for Rs 18 crore, Arshdeep joins MI

Hardik Pandya will join PBKS ahead of the IPL 2027 with MI roping in Arshdeep Singh through a trade deal. (BCCI)

Mumbai Indians have traded captain Hardik Pandya to Punjab Kings ahead of the IPL 2027 retention deadline, with left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh joining the five-time champions in one of the biggest transfer deals ever in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Pandya, who began his IPL journey with MI in 2015 and later switched to Gujarat Titans in 2022 before returning to the franchise in 2024, has been traded for Rs 18 crore, the IPL organising committee announced in a statement.

“Pandya will join PBKS at a fee of ₹18 crore, up from his existing fee of ₹16.35 crore, while Arshdeep will join MI at his existing fee of ₹18 crore,” an IPL statement read.

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This will be Pandya’s third franchise in the IPL. In 2024, he returned to MI after having previously lead Gujarat to the title in 2022. Pandya’s trade was one of the biggest deals at the time, switching back to Mumbai for Rs 15 crore. He replaced Rohit Sharma as captain, a move that received severe backlash from Mumbai fans around the country. Hardik was subjected to boos and jeers even at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Pandya has aggregated 2322 runs for MI in 131 matches while picking up 71 wickets. The 33-year-old all-rounder has been out of action since the 2026 IPL season, having endured a spate of various injuries that has delayed his returned to the field.

Pandya’s switch now opens up the potential return for Rohit Sharma as MI captain after three seasons as reported earlier by The Indian Express. A five-time winner as captain, Rohit last led Mumbai in 2023 where they were eliminated in Qualifier 2.

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Meanwhile, Arshdeep’s move to Mumbai will mark his second franchise outside Punjab. The left-arm pacer made his IPL debut in 2022 with Punjab and subsequently emerged as India’s front-line seamer in the T20I format, featuring in three successive World Cup campaigns. A two-time World Cup winner, Arshdeep is India’s most successful seamer in the shortest format.