Paperwork completed for Hardik-Arshdeep swap ahead of IPL 2027, formal nod awaited
New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS) The paperwork has been completed for seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya to join Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2027. With Pandya going to PBKS in a trade deal, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh will head to five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI).
The deal, though, still needs formal approval before it is formally announced. “Yes, the initial paperwork for this trade has been completed. Now it has to get formal approval of the BCCI and IPL governing council, and then it can be announced along with the final amount,” said an IPL source to IANS on Saturday.
IANS previously reported on November 3 that Shreyas Iyer-led PBKS had surged ahead of other teams like Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to acquire Pandya’s services ahead of the November 17 retentions deadline.
Wicketkeeper-batter Vishnu Vinod was initially a part of the exchange, but IANS understands that he has been left out of it. “No, he is not a part of this trade deal,” added another source.
The trade also ends Hardik’s second spell at MI, which began when the franchise acquired him from Gujarat Titans (GT) in an all-cash deal ahead of IPL 2024 and handed him the captaincy in place of Rohit Sharma, who had guided the side to five titles.
His homecoming was expected to give MI a long-term leader, but things did not go as per the expected plan. Though MI reached the playoffs in IPL 2025, they finished at the bottom of the points table in IPL 2024 and ended at the ninth spot in IPL 2026. In 39 games where Hardik was MI’s captain, they won 15 games and lost 24 matches.
Meanwhile, Arshdeep has been with PBKS since IPL 2019, and his exploits with them paved his way into the Indian team. As of now, Arshdeep is playing in the ODI series in New Zealand and is also India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is. Both Pandya and Arshdeep were members of the Men’s T20 World Cup-winning Indian team in 2024 and 2026.
Pandya’s fitness, though, is a big concern. He has not played competitive cricket since IPL 2026 due to a series of injuries, the most recent being a shin problem that kept him out of India A’s one-day series against Australia A in Puducherry in October. That recovery from the shin injury also ruled out Pandya from being a part of Baroda’s squad for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
IANS also understands that PBKS had looked to trade out Australia’s seam-bowling all-rounder Marcus Stoinis in exchange for Lucknow Super Giants left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan, but there’s been a change of heart from the franchise, and if all goes well, he is likely to be retained for the 2027 IPL season.
It is also understood that Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are in talks over initiating a major trade involving more than two players. Though the names of the players in question have been doing the rounds, a formal announcement will be made once it gets the IPL governing council’s nod.
The BCCI had previously pushed the retention deadline to November 17, as the original date clashed with India’s fifth ODI against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui on November 15. The two-day extension gives both franchises enough time to complete the formalities before the mini-auction takes place in Goa on December 16.
–IANS
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