After some below-par results in the last three seasons, the Mumbai Indians management will be looking at options to better their chances.
In the wake of their title-winning campaign in 2020, Mumbai Indians haven’t looked like the best version of themselves. The decision to re-appoint Hardik Pandya as captain by far overshadows every other trade that has been carried out by the franchise.
It is no secret that the decision wasn’t taken very well by a few of their own supporters. That being said, the performances under Hardik haven’t instilled any conviction that their instincts were wrong either. Twice in the last three seasons, the five-time champions have finished in the last two spots in the points table - something they aren’t used to.
In the last three seasons combined, Mumbai Indians have won a mere 37.5% of their fixtures under Hardik’s captaincy. While he was at the helm of the Gujarat Titans in 2022 & 2023, Hardik’s batting average stood at a healthy 44.27 and 31.45 respectively, with six fifties to his name, across the two seasons. Upon his arrival at MI, those numbers have drastically dropped. Hardik hasn’t averaged above 25 in any of the three seasons so far, and does not have a single fifty to his name either.
In terms of his bowling, his average stood at 64.75 in 2026 - which is the third highest in his IPL career so far. Though he has shown some promise with the ball early on in the innings with his seam movement, Hardik has been taken to the cleaners more often than not, especially at the death.
With all these factors piling up on the MI management, coupled with the performances and leadership over the last three years, Hardik being traded out looks like a viable possibility for the five-time champions. That being said, with another season to be played before the mega-auction kicks in, the best option for the five-time champions to restructure their squad would be to look at possible trades.
Here are three trades for Hardik Pandya that make complete sense:
Hardik Pandya - Yashasvi Jaiswal (MI - RR)
This is one of the trades which could solve a problem for both the franchises. Mumbai Indians open the batting with Quinton de Kock or Ryan Rickelton alongside Rohit Sharma. However, having an Indian opener in their rankswould open up an overseas spot.
To add to that, at some point the franchise will have to start thinking of life after Rohit Sharma’s retirement. Yashasvi Jaiswal is a proven performer on the IPL circuit, and would likely strengthen their batting at the top of the order. Jaiswal has accumulated almost 2,600 runs at 33.67, striking at 152.79 with 18 fifties and two hundreds to his name in the IPL.
To add to that, Jaiswal is being overshadowed by his opening partner Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at RR, who has grabbed his chance with both hands. After Riyan Parag’s appointment as the skipper of the franchise, the southpaw might feel a sense of lost purpose. Though these might not be the only factors to induce a trade, they could play a part.
On the other hand, the Rajasthan Royals would gain a pure all-rounder in the form of Hardik, which would strengthen their middle-order. The 2008 IPL champions thrive on the likes of Donovan Ferreira to finish games, and Hardik might just be a value addition.
Furthermore, Hardik’s bowling might also help Rajasthan add variety to their attack. They have Nandre Burger and Jofra Archer, who bring express pace. Brijesh Sharma and Sandeep Sharma provide variations, but Hardik could be an asset in controlling the middle-overs.
Hardik Pandya - Urvil Patel (MI - CSK)
One of the franchises that will benefit heaps from acquiring Hardik would be Chennai Super Kings. The Men in Yellow have always thrived on their fast-bowling all-rounders (DJ Bravo, Sam Curran, Albie Morkel).
The franchise made some bold decisions prior to the last season, acquiring Kartik Sharma and Prashat Veer for INR 14.2 Crore each, making them the joint-most expensive uncapped players in IPL auction history. Though it made their intentions clear, it left a gap in the squad - a fast bowling all-rounder. It's a gap which Hardik can very well fill.
With Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson at the top of the order and Ayush Mhatre at three, Urvil Patel might have to warm the benches. And this is where Mumbai Indians could have their chance. The 27-year-old recently created history by smashing a joint-fastest half-century in the IPL (13 balls) against the Lucknow Super Giants. Urvil has also been a powerhouse in domestic cricket, having made an appearance in the list for fastest T20 hundreds.
The Mumbai Indians are currently fixated with Naman Dhir at three, who has shown promise, but is yet to punch above his weight. It would not be a very bad idea to bring in Urvil Patel into the mix, especially after the potential that he showed last season.
Hardik Pandya - Ashutosh Sharma (MI - DC)
Hardik belongs to one of the extremely rare species in cricket as a fast bowling all-rounder. Considering the requirements of an all-rounder for success in T20 cricket, and his batting exploits, almost any franchise could be willing to make a trade. But again, the question is - what can they offer in return?
From MI’s lower middle-order batting perspective, Ashutosh Sharma might garner some interest. The Delhi Capitals batter has always been about the strike-rate (181.91 last season), with which he has created impact multiple times. Looking at MI’s power-hitting department, Sherfane Rutherford and Will Jacks combine to give all the firepower towards the end. Both being overseas options, MI could look at Ashutosh as their finisher.
Ashutosh displayed his firepower in DC’s opener in 2025, with a 31-ball 66*, taking the team over the line from a crunch situation. With a target of 210 against LSG, Ashutosh came in with the scorecard at 65/5, eventually taking the team over the line.
To add to that, the Wankhede stadium offers true bounce, which the batters can trust to hit through the line - something which Ashutosh Sharma relies on.
Like a lot of other teams, the Capitals lack depth in terms of their pace bowling all-rounder department, which is where getting in Hardik in makes sense. Alongside David Miller, Hardik would be a great addition to the finisher’s role. Considering their shallow resources of good bowling all-rounders, getting in Hardik would make complete sense.
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