Hardik Pandya wants to leave the Mumbai Indians after three difficult years as captain since returning to the franchise from the Gujarat Titans. Several franchises have shown interest in the Indian all-rounder, but nothing has been finalised. MI finished 9th in the IPL 2026, and the leader was not happy with the performance of the senior players.
He has been linked to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), but nothing has come out in the public domain.
However, according to a Cricbuzz report, the five-time champions haven’t shown any interest in parting ways with their skipper. There is a possibility of the franchise saying no to the trade as the discussions with CSK and KKR remain in an early stage.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and the Rajasthan Royals are ready to test Mumbai, but they haven’t made any move.
According to Cricbuzz, the three-time champions KKR need a player like Hardik in the squad, but the decision-makers are reluctant to send any of their marquee players to Mumbai in return. If Kolkata agree to put Cameron Green up for trade, Mumbai could say no, considering the all-rounder’s availability for IPL 2027 due to Australia’s packed international schedule next year.
CSK yet to confirm their interest
On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings haven’t confirmed whether they want to add Pandya to their team. “We haven’t decided anything about new players or trade deals. We will hire a coach and are currently in the process of talking to the interested candidates before finalising anything. We will sit and take a call,” CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan told Cricbuzz.
Hardik has been missing from action since IPL 2026. The all-rounder has shifted his base from Mumbai to Bengaluru to live close to the Centre of Excellence (CoE) to work on his fitness. He was given the captain’s armband by Mumbai in 2024, but he failed to live up to expectations. MI finished last in 2024 before qualifying for the playoffs the following year. However, they lost to Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2.
Since his return, he has been ordinary with the bat in each of the seasons. With the ball, he has taken 29 wickets.