Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh are involved in one of the most high-profile trades. Image Credits: X
Most IPL trades are for team combinations and plugging crucial gaps. A few, however, are driven by desperation, either by one side or both. The Hardik Pandya-Arshdeep Singh one seems to be the latter.
By the end of IPL 2026, Mumbai Indians (MI) clearly understood that bringing in Hardik didn’t work, and the setup needed to change. MI’s struggles over the last three years, finishing last in 2024 and second-last in 2026, are only part of the problem. Hardik’s own performances have also been far from satisfactory.
Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh is almost two different bowlers in the IPL and T20Is. As impressive as his performances for India have been, the left-arm pacer hasn’t made the same impact in Punjab Kings (PBKS) colours. Being their premium pacer, PBKS must have expected more, and rightly so.
What Mumbai Indians get with Arshdeep Singh
Pacers in powerplay in IPL 2026
For starters, Mumbai Indians desperately wanted a couple of solid new-ball pacers for the powerplay. They brought Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar for a hefty sum, but they couldn’t take regular wickets up front. Boult averaged 36.70 and conceded 9.66 runs per over, while Chahar took wickets at 31.50 runs apiece and leaked 8.82 runs per over.
Boult, in particular, hasn’t looked close to his best, and he’s lost his new-ball zip for more accuracy with his yorkers. Chahar is injury-prone and hardly adds value outside the powerplay because of his low attributes in other phases.
Given that they bowl at one of the most helpful new-ball venues, Wankhede Stadium, MI are right to expect more wickets, especially since the ball has swung considerably more in recent years. They take a big chunk of salary for a specific role, after all. In IPL 2026, Mumbai Indians had the fourth-worst average (49.86) and economy rate (10.42).
If they get Arshdeep Singh, the five-time champions will have a solid powerplay operator who will find the perfect conditions at home. He will get ample new-ball movement and also bring a left-arm angle, something MI have historically preferred. Arshdeep has worked on taking the ball away and is arguably India’s second-best pacer in white-ball cricket.
If he plays, MI could use Jasprit Bumrah more in the middle and slog overs rather than front-loading him in the powerplay. Then, Arshdeep’s death-overs credentials, including his control over yorkers, are well established. With the saliva ban removed, he will also get reverse swing at the back end of the innings now.
MI couldn’t have found a better option to bolster their pace attack. Jasprit Bumrah could miss a few matches to manage his workload in a World Cup year. Arshdeep is known for his workload and has hardly required management, playing almost every game for Punjab Kings in recent seasons.
How Hardik Pandya could add value to Punjab Kings
In one way, Punjab Kings’ move to trade Hardik Pandya in seems weird. They already have an established captain, Shreyas Iyer, and don’t really lack pace-bowling all-rounders. PBKS already have Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Suryansh Shedge in this department.
Then, Hardik’s IPL returns haven’t been impressive in recent years either. Since 2024, he has averaged 21.53 and struck at 147.83, which is not enough for the finisher role he often plays. As a bowler, Hardik has 29 wickets at 34.07 and an economy rate of 10.55.
Combining his below-par performances and his injury history, Hardik looks like a misfit in the PBKS setup. However, he still brings what no other Indian player brings. He’s still India’s premium all-rounder and will walk into the XI as soon as he regains full fitness.
Meanwhile, PBKS have a few all-rounders who don’t add equal value in both departments. Marcus Stoinis, for instance, doesn’t contribute enough with the ball, and his hitting skills are on the wane. He doesn’t play enough top-level cricket, so he’s bound to show more signs of regression next season.
On the other hand, Suryansh Shedge and Mitchell Owen are more like specialist batters, with their bowling acting as a filler, at least on the flat pitches IPL is played on. They hardly bowl in the tournament. Shashank Singh took a few wickets here and there, but he’s not a reliable operator by any means.
Marco Jansen and Azmatullah Omarzai are the only two quality all-rounders who can actually contribute in both departments. But both pacers need to develop more defensive skills to remain effective at least outside the powerplay. In IPL 2026, Jansen and Omarzai conceded 10.20 and 9.36 runs per over, respectively.
.jpg)
If Hardik Pandya comes into the setup, he will bowl in the middle and slog overs. That will allow Punjab Kings to use Jansen and Omarzai with the new ball, their strongest phase. That way, Arshdeep’s absence won’t be felt as much, at least during the field restrictions, and PBKS could leave out Stoinis.
As a batter, PBKS could use Hardik at No.5, where he can contribute more than he did at MI. With the likes of Shashank, Shedge, and Jansen around, Hardik will also get the desired shield against hard lengths into the pitch. And he can whack spinners and medium-pace from his end.
The impact player rule could be scrapped after the next season, given the displeasure shown by numerous players and captains. The all-rounders, especially pace-bowling all-rounders, will be in high demand again. Hardik is still the best bet in that department and doesn’t take an overseas spot, making him a long-term investment for the franchise.
Who gets a fair deal?
Arshdeep Singh since 2024
On paper, Mumbai Indians seem to have got a better deal because it plugs a gap that wasn’t possible in the mini-auction. They now have two of the finest Indian bowlers. But Punjab Kings might still not feel too bad either.
Hardik Pandya’s recent injury concerns and IPL returns have definitely hidden his value. But then, Arshdeep Singh hasn’t turned up for PBKS consistently either. In one way, their IPL performances don’t exactly depict how much they could contribute.
Once the impact player rule goes, Hardik will precisely add the balance other teams would lack. He might return with better fitness too after a lengthy layoff. A fit Hardik will always be the first name on the team sheet, even with the impact player rule.
As for Arshdeep, MI can’t afford the version that played for PBKS. They need an able partner for Bumrah across phases. And when Bumrah is unavailable for any reason, Arshdeep should lead the attack the same way he does for India.
The only concern is that Punjab Kings will definitely be light on bowling strength. That won’t be possible to fill in a mini auction either. They either need to trade in a quality seamer from another team or bank on their batters to do the heavy lifting.
But PBKS can always leave out one of their many all-rounders to free up purse and look to strengthen the bowling department. Hardik isn’t too bad a bowler either. He can act as an enforcer and add useful value in the death overs.
Eventually, it’s a trade of two of the best white-ball players in world cricket. Now it’s about which version of them shows up for the tournament.
