Hardik Pandya's trade rumours are at their peak | PC- AFP
The rumours around Hardik Pandya’s trade are at their peak, and why won’t they be? The maestro all-rounder is set to leave the Mumbai Indians, in all likelihood, and teams like DC, KKR and CSK are more than excited for his acquisition.
A fast-bowling all-rounder has been a rarity in today’s age. If he can bat and bowl like a specialist, it is even more uncommon. But Hardik Pandya is one such player; thus, his stocks remain sky-high in all seasons.
CSK, DC, KKR in three-way fight for Hardik Pandya
If reports are to be believed, apart from RCB and SRH, all the remaining franchises are excited about trading Hardik Pandya from Mumbai. The last time such a scenario unfolded in the IPL was during the inaugural auctions when all teams had raised the pedal for MS Dhoni.
Nevertheless, in the trade rumours around Pandya, Delhi Capitals (DC), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) seem to be the front-runners in the race.
Also Read: Delhi Capitals Join Hardik Pandya Trade Race To Offer 2 Big Indian Stars
Renowned sports journalist Rohit Juglan has posted a cryptic post on social media, hinting at a three-way fight for the MI captain. “For No.33 its 3 way fight now 💛💜💙," the journalist posted on X.
Notably, Pandya famously dons the number 33 jersey, both in the IPL and for Team India. CSK is identified by yellow, KKR by purple, and DC by their dominant blue; many fans have interpreted his cryptic tweet as a subtle hint towards a three-way IPL bidding war involving the three franchises.
Are MI in talks with CSK for Hardik Pandya trade?
As reported earlier, MI were in talks with the fellow five-time IPL champions to get Hardik Pandya to don their yellow. However, in return, the Mumbai-based franchise demanded either Shivam Dube and Dewald Brevis or the former with INR 10 crore cash.
That said, before making a final call on the South African batter, the Super Kings want to see how Brevis performs in The Hundred 2026, where he is featuring for Mumbai’s newly acquired sister franchise, MI London.
It is worth mentioning that the 23-year-old Brevis has been in topsy-turvy form in the last year or so. Although he did well in the last SA20, the swashbuckler has struggled since then. Even in IPL 2026, he could only rack up 151 runs in eight innings, averaging 18.88 with a strike rate of 127.97.
BCCI managing Hardik Pandya's workload
Talking about Hardik Pandya, the all-rounder was last seen during the IPL 2026, where MI finished in the penultimate position, just beneath CSK. He was initially picked up in the Indian ODI squad for the home series against Afghanistan, but picked up an injury at the last moment.
The BCCI is said to manage the 32-year-old’s workload heading towards the 2027 ODI World Cup, as his untimely injury indirectly cost the Men in Blue the silverware in the last edition. He is expected to next be seen on the field either during the ODIs against West Indies or New Zealand.
Also Read: Players To Watch Out For In DPL 2026
