Mumbai (Rajeev Sharma): A major player swap has reshaped the squads of Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings ahead of the TATA IPL 2027, with Hardik Pandya heading to Punjab and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh joining the five-time IPL champions.
The deal brings an end to Pandya’s second spell with Mumbai Indians. The all-rounder first represented MI in 2015 and was part of four title-winning campaigns in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. After seven seasons with the franchise, he moved to Gujarat Titans in 2022, taking charge as captain and guiding the team to the championship in its debut season. Gujarat also finished runners-up in 2023.
Pandya returned to Mumbai in 2024 and was appointed captain. Over 162 IPL appearances, he has accumulated 2,955 runs at a strike rate of 146.28 and taken 82 wickets. Punjab Kings will acquire his services for ₹18 crore, an increase from his previous fee of ₹16.35 crore.
For Mumbai, the arrival of Arshdeep brings an experienced international fast bowler into its pace department. The India left-armer spent eight seasons with Punjab Kings, making his IPL debut for the franchise in 2019. He has taken 111 wickets in 96 IPL matches, making him PBKS’s leading wicket-taker.
Arshdeep has built a reputation for taking wickets with the new ball and handling difficult overs at the end of an innings. He picked up 21 wickets in the 2025 season and added 14 more in 2026. His ability to bowl at different stages of a match is expected to strengthen Mumbai’s bowling resources.
Under the terms of the exchange, Arshdeep will retain his existing ₹18-crore fee at Mumbai Indians, while Pandya’s remuneration at Punjab Kings will rise to ₹18 crore.
The high-profile exchange sees two established India internationals switch franchises, giving both teams an opportunity to reshape their combinations ahead of the 2027 season.
