Hardik Pandya with Kieron Pollard in IPL 2026 | PC- AFP
Hardik Pandya has been the talk of the town, with almost every franchise trying their luck to acquire the Mumbai Indians captain.
As reported earlier, MI have received lucrative deals from Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings, although the five-time champions are reluctant about what they get in exchange.
KKR seeming front-runner in Hardik Pandya trade
As reported by Cricblogger, Kolkata Knight Riders are emerging as the front-runner to get Hardik Pandya traded. Furthermore, the all-rounder is looked at as a captaincy option, especially after Ajinkya Rahane called off his time from all forms of cricket.
It has been reported that KKR rejected MI's offer to trade Rinku Singh and Harshit Rana for Hardik Pandya, but the three-time IPL winners are also interested in offering an all-cash deal to Mumbai.
Also Read: Hasan Mahmud In Demand: IPL Teams That Can Target Bangladesh Ace For 2027 Season"KKR have rejected Mumbai Indians’ proposal involving Harshit Rana and Rinku Singh and are still keen on pursuing a cash deal for Pandya," the report stated.
"Indications are that Hardik has a strong chance of joining KKR — and could even lead the franchise, with the all-rounder himself keen on taking up the captaincy."
What deals did other franchises offered for Hardik Pandya trade?
Regarded as one of the most celebrated all-rounders in the Indian ecosystem, Hardik Pandya is in his own league, which is why all the IPL franchises are trying to fetch the prolific player from MI.
Reported by Cricblogger, MI have received at least half of the one-quarter deals for Pandya, apart from KKR. That said, none of them have materialised so far.
Reportedly, CSK asked for Hardik Pandya in exchange for Shivam Dube and Khaleel Ahmed, while MI rejected the offer and asked for Dewald Brevis and Ayush Mhatre instead.
Meanwhile, Mumbai wanted Yashasvi Jaiswal from Rajasthan in the Hardik Pandya trade, but the inaugural champions denied it. Lastly, LSG asked for Hardik Pandya, but MI had another no for an answer.
“With so many roadblocks, KKR looks like the most viable option for Pandya at this stage,” the report Cricblogger added.
Hardik Pandya's awful run as MI captain
Hardik Pandya was traded from Gujarat Titans to MI ahead of IPL 2024, in what was deemed the mother of all IPL trades at that time. However, that move cost the five-time champions more than any gain.
Pandya replaced Rohit Sharma as captain at the five-time champions, but he could never gel completely on his homecoming.
Nevertheless, during his three-season stint as MI captain, Pandya could only take the franchise to the playoffs just once, while the most successful franchise ended in second-to-last and last spots in the rest of the seasons.
That said, Hardik Pandya, as a leader with GT, was a whole different gravy, helping the team lift the trophy on their first attempt and finishing runners-up the next time.
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