BREAKING: Punjab Kings set to force surprise Hardik Pandya swap with India teammate ahead of IPL 2027 - Reports

The Punjab Kings are closing in on a trade for Mumbai Indians all-rounder Hardik Pandya ahead of IPL 2027, with India left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and wicketkeeper-batter Vishnu Vinod likely to move in the opposite direction, according to a Sportstar report on November 3.

Senior management at both franchises has “all but agreed on the proposed exchange”, the report says, with the paperwork expected to be processed by IPL officials. An announcement could follow later this week, before the November 17 retention deadline. Neither franchise nor the IPL has confirmed the trade, and no official comment was available at the time of publication.

The report states that the first approach came from a senior MI official. PBKS, coached by Ricky Ponting and captained by Shreyas Iyer, agreed to explore a deal, and talks settled on Arshdeep and Vinod as the return package. MI sounded out several franchises; only Kolkata Knight Riders reached a comparable stage, discussing a multi-player package that did not progress as far.

Arshdeep's exit would leave a hole in PBKS' new-ball attack and could trigger a second trade. The franchise may approach the Lucknow Super Giants about a swap involving left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan and Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis. Pandya's arrival would cut into Stoinis's role, while Mohsin, fitness permitting, is rated highly by the PBKS think tank.

PBKS' willingness to part with Arshdeep is notable. The franchise released him before the IPL 2025 mega auction, then used the 'Right to Match' card to bring him back after the Sunrisers Hyderabad bid for him. He took 14 wickets in 13 matches in IPL 2026 at an economy of 10.21. On April 16 at the Wankhede, the 27-year-old became the first Punjab bowler to 100 IPL wickets, taking 3 for 22 against MI.

How did Hardik Pandya perform in IPL 2026?

The trade reports follow a poor season for Hardik Pandya by his own standards. The Mumbai Indians captain scored 206 runs in 10 matches at an average of 22.89 and a strike rate of 138.26, with a highest score of 40. With the ball, he managed four wickets in 22.4 overs, conceding at 11.43 an over. MI finished ninth, with just four wins from 14 matches.

That is a drop from 2025, when he made 224 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 163.5 and took 14 wickets at 24.42. In 162 IPL matches, Hardik Pandya has 2,955 runs at a strike rate of 146.28 and 82 wickets, and he has won five titles, one of them as Gujarat Titans captain in 2022. Mumbai retained him for ₹16.35 crore before IPL 2026.

Neither franchise has said whether Hardik Pandya would take the captaincy from Shreyas Iyer.

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