Marco Jansen and Ricky Ponting - (Source: AFP/X)
The speculations regarding IPL trades are picking up like wildfire. Not just Hardik Pandya, but many other all-rounders are the talk of the town, especially the newly crowned Test number 1 all-rounder Marco Jansen.
Earlier, Ravichandran Ashwin hinted that PBKS might let go of one of their left-arm seamers to acquire the Mumbai Indians captain.
Notably, Jansen and Arshdeep Singh are the only left-arm fast bowlers present in Punjab's squad. Meanwhile, trading or releasing either of the two would be a wild move.
PBKS has 'no intention' of letting go of Marco Jansen
However, a Cricbuzz report has put the Marco Jansen debate to rest. As per the publication, the top decision-makers at the Punjab Kings (PBKS) are not looking to release the South African all-rounder.
"Top PBKS sources said the franchise has no intention of letting go of the South African," the report stated.
Although Jansen had a mediocre time in IPL 2026, he has been one of the best cricketers going around worldwide, across all forms of the game.
In the three-match Test series against Australia, the 26-year-old was named Player of the Series for his 13 wickets, alongside 198 runs with the bat. Moreover, he recently replaced Ravindra Jadeja as the numero uno all-rounder in the Test cricket.
Can PBKS trade Arshdeep Singh to trade Hardik Pandya from MI?
On paper, PBKS have one of the strongest squads heading into the mini-auctions ahead of IPL 2027. Under Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting, the franchise has received a sense of assurance in the last two years that has been missing for years.
Although Punjab had a rather poor second half in IPL 2026, they began the season with a bang.
If Ravichandran Ashwin’s remarks about Punjab Kings hold weight, Arshdeep Singh could be another left-arm pacer MI might consider trading for Hardik Pandya.
That said, the franchise won't look to make too many changes to their squad, considering the status Arshdeep has in T20I cricket, being the most successful bowler for India in the format.
