Former Indian batter Abhinav Mukund has weighed in on the potential trade between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) and its possible implications. Notably, Hardik Pandya is expected to be traded to PBKS while Arshdeep Singh will move to MI ahead of the mini-auction.
Speaking on JioStar’s Game Plan, JioStar expert Mukund questioned Hardik on whether he is okay to play just as an all-rounder instead of seeking captaincy from Shreyas Iyer, adding that PBKS will definitely let go of Marcus Stoinis if this trade is successful.
“It is very interesting because when you look back at the mega auction, they chose to spend a bulk of their money on three big players like Arshdeep, Shreyas and Chahal. So, if you don’t have faith in that core and want a better core to be retained, that’s where the all-rounder question comes in,” Mukund said.
“So, if you go with the speculation, obviously, it’s a fact that Arshdeep Singh has been offered for Hardik Pandya. It’s a great deal for Mumbai, but it’s also a questionable deal for Punjab Kings because if Hardik comes to Punjab, does he play as just an all-rounder? Because I would think that he would play under Shreyas Iyer. So, there is that team dynamics question as well. Once again, is he okay with it? Has Shreyas had conversations about it? These are all things done behind closed doors. But, to be fair, that does a lot to the makeup of that side, and I have a feeling that they will definitely let go of Marcus Stoinis if he comes in,” he added.
According to a report on Cricinfo, Hardik and MI had several conversations since the latter part of IPL 2026 before the ace player told the franchise he wanted to be released. Apart from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), MI had virtual talks with all other teams about the trade.
