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  • Hardik Pandya To Pbks R Ashwin Opens New Pandoras Box As Retention Window Nears

Hardik Pandya To PBKS? R Ashwin Opens New Pandora's Box As Retention Window Nears

Arjun Bhalla

Hardik Pandya with MI head coach Kieron Pollard | PC- AFPHardik Pandya with MI head coach Kieron Pollard | PC- AFP

The Hardik Pandya trade has been the biggest riddle of the season. Will Mumbai Indians let go of the star all-rounder? If so, where will he head? How many players will MI ask for in exchange for the captain?

Former India spinner and CSK legend Ravichandran Ashwin has tried to solve the riddle around Hardik Pandya. 

Ravi Ashwin spills beans over Hardik Pandya trade

While speaking on his YouTube Channel, Ash Ki Baat, Ravi Ashwin hinted at one of the biggest developments around the Hardik Pandya trade. 

The former Punjab captain almost confirmed the IPL's biggest trade, suggesting Hardik might head to Punjab Kings, who might trade a leg-spinner or a left-arm fast bowler. 

"It's almost certain that he (Hardik) won't be with MI unless they try to retain him at the last moment. But I do believe he'll be traded. MI might look for a leg-spinner in the trade, and there were even talks of MI targeting an Indian left-arm pacer from PBKS for Hardik," Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Which players could PBKS offer MI in exchange for Hardik Pandya?

As far as MI is concerned, they won't let go of Hardik Pandya without getting as good as a player, on two, in exchange. If reports are to be believed, Mumbai rejected offers from other franchises, as they were looking to trade two or three of their players for Pandya.

Thus, PBKS would need to offer a high-profile player, or even two big names, to trade for the MI all-rounder. 

With several big names in the squad, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and left-arm seamers Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh stand out as potential candidates who fit Ravi Ashwin’s hint.

If the trade between Punjab and Mumbai goes through, it will be interesting to see how Pandya fits into a dressing room alongside alphas like Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting.

That said, Pandya shares a great camaraderie with both Shreyas and Ponting. He won an IPL trophy under the Aussie coach in IPL 2015, while playing for India alongside the current PBKS captain. 

Another major question would be whether Pandya would be handed the captaincy at Punjab Kings.