As many as seven IPL franchises have reportedly approached Mumbai Indians over a trade for captain Hardik Pandya ahead of the 2027 season, with Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals understood to be furthest along in discussions with the five-time champions.
Mumbai finished ninth in the IPL 2026 points table with just four wins from 14 games, and Pandya struggled through the season with both bat and ball while leading the side. The all-rounder managed only 206 runs in 10 innings at an average of 22.89, while his bowling returns read four wickets at an economy of 11.43.
Kolkata, who have missed the playoffs for two seasons running, are believed to be looking past Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy, while Rajasthan have reportedly floated a swap involving opener Yashasvi Jaiswal to bring Pandya to Jaipur instead. The identities of the other five franchises linked to the chase have not been detailed in reports so far.
“Rahane was always a temporary solution for KKR, everyone knew he’d be released after this season. Kolkata tried to get talks going with MI’s owners a while ago, but it was bad timing, with the Reliance AGM keeping everyone distracted. Now they’ve come back to the table, and real discussions are happening,” an IPL insider was quoted as saying by DNA India.
Why is Rajasthan Royals’ pitch for Hardik Pandya complicated?
Rajasthan have also opened talks, but their pitch comes with a complication of its own. The franchise is understood to see Riyan Parag as their long-term captain, meaning Pandya would likely arrive without the armband if he moves to Jaipur, a factor that could weigh heavily given his leadership ambitions and stature in the game.
Would Kolkata Knight Riders hand Hardik Pandya the captaincy?
Kolkata’s interest is understood to be tied specifically to leadership, with the franchise having gone without a settled long-term captain since Shreyas Iyer‘s title-winning stint in 2024. Pandya has led Gujarat Titans to the 2022 IPL title and captained Mumbai Indians since his high-profile trade back to the franchise in 2024, giving him more white-ball captaincy experience than most players currently in the trade conversation.
No official confirmation has come from the Mumbai Indians or any of the seven franchises reportedly in the race on any trade talks so far. IPL trade rules require sign-off from both franchises and the player, with any deal needing to be finalised before the window closes ahead of the IPL 2027 mini auction in December.
