Hardik Pandya Trade: This IPL-winning franchise almost finalises deal; offers captaincy to all-rounder

Hardik Pandya could be involved in one of the biggest trades in IPL history.

The off-season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) always brings trade rumours and controversies. Hardik Pandya is emerging as a hot topic right now, as there are chances that he could be traded from the Mumbai Indians (MI) to another franchise.

The MI skipper was traded from the Gujarat Titans (GT) in 2024 in a historic all-cash deal. However, it did not end well for either Mumbai or Hardik Pandya. He captained MI for three full seasons, but the team failed to qualify for the playoffs twice and failed to make any significant impact.

The franchise, which is known for winning trophies and are one of the joint-most successful teams in IPL history, is now struggling to find their place in the playoffs, leaving their fans disappointed.

During IPL 2026, there were a few rumours of an ego clash between senior Mumbai Indians players. Hardik Pandya is now expected to leave the team, and other franchises are approaching the Mumbai Indians for a possible trade deal.

Hardik Pandya set to lead KKR in IPL 2027 – Reports

According to several reports, a few days ago, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were keen to get Hardik Pandya in a trade deal in exchange for a few of their players. However, recently the tides have changed, and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are the front runners to get Hardik Pandya from the Mumbai Indians.

Ajinkya Rahane, who captained KKR in the last two seasons, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, which means that the KKR are now looking for a captain who can lead the team for a long time.

As per the reports in Revsportz, Hardik Pandya is all set to join KKR in IPL 2027. He also will be leading the franchise as he serves as a perfect choice for this role. The Indian all-rounder is known for his hard-hitting batting down the order while also bowling a few important overs as a right-arm medium pacer.

He has already won the IPL trophy five times, including once as captain in his debut season as skipper, when he led the Gujarat Titans to the title in 2022.

However, he could not replicate the same success with the Mumbai Indians, but he would be eager to do it with another franchise. The three-time champions, KKR, will be keen to sign Hardik, who has the potential to join the elite list of Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer as captains who led KKR to IPL titles.

However, the deal has not been finalised yet, and we may have to wait and see the further progress of this situation.

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