Hardik Pandya and Yashasvi Jaiswal [Source: AFP]Hardik Pandya has not been at his best since the Champions Trophy in 2025. The Indian all-rounder has been ousted from several series due to injuries, and in the IPL 2026 too, he bore the brunt of abuse after a disappointing campaign of the Mumbai Indians.Hardik, captaining Mumbai, has one of the worst win records for the franchise, and there have been talks that the all-rounder could potentially move to Chennai Super Kings ahead of the upcoming IPL 2027 season via a mega trade. Nevertheless, as the CSK-MI trade gained air, a recent revelation is now circulating online about Hardik Pandya being traded off to not CSK but with the inaugural champions of the IPL.Hardik Pandya’s Woeful Mumbai Indians Season In IPL 2026Apart from a worrisome batting and bowling performance in IPL 2026, Pandya’s leadership abilities faced the biggest question mark from the franchise. Unable to get a winning momentum throughout the tournament, talks of internal crackdowns inside the MI camp also surfaced.Rumoredly, Pandya was apparently boycotted by senior MI players, as on-field leadership and following the captain’s order were questioned after every match.This eventually triggered the talks of Hardik moving to a different franchise despite MI showing faith in him back in 2023 by roping him in from the Gujarat Titans and making him the skipper of the team.Hardik Pandya Set To Join Rajasthan Royals With Yashasvi Jaiswal TradeNow, as per a latest report from the RevSportz journalist Subhayan Chakraborty, Pandya is all set to join the Rajasthan Royals camp ahead of IPL 2027.Subhayan Chakraborty @CricSubhayan Hardik Pandya 🔄 Yashasvi Jaiswal...talks on.... As per the talk, Yashasvi Jaiswal is the likely trade RR is set to make with the Mumbai Indians in order to get Hardik in the Pink camp.While the trade-off seems far-fetched, a slight possibility hangs in the corner because of the dissatisfaction rumours of Jaiswal with RR management that spread ahead of the 2026 season.If both Hardik and Jaiswal agree to the trade, there is a possibility that RR will win over CSK in the race to acquire the services of Pandya.Also Read- KL Rahul Frontrunner To Become Delhi Capitals Captain For IPL 2027How Likely Is The RR-MI Trade Ahead Of IPL 2027?Yashasvi Jaiswal is the firebrand opener of Rajasthan Royals, with his seasoned maturity, which he gained over time. Paired with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Jaiswal is a solid anchor at the top for the Royals. In the case of MI, they have found a solid footing in terms of Rohit Sharma and players like Quinton De Kock and Ryan Rickelton. Bringing in Jaiswal means the latter two players would have to lose their spot, and the Playing XI order gets jumbled up.Moreover, Jaiswal and Hardik Pandya are not even a like-for-like trade. While RR can afford Pandya to get the bonus abilities of a pace bowling all-rounder, MI, looking forward to adding yet another opener to their already strong top order, makes little sense, that too for the cost of a star all-rounder.Nevertheless, these are all reports and rumours, and any development of the MI-RR trade-off has not been officially confirmed yet by any of the franchises.Also Read- Virat Kohli Till IPL 2030? RCB Stars Who Could Pay The Price
