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Hardik Pandya‘s future with Mumbai Indians has once again come under the spotlight. After leading the five-time IPL champions for the last three seasons, Hardik could be heading towards a surprise exit, even though the franchise still wants him in the squad.
The star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has already shifted his base to Bengaluru from Mumbai, where he spent most of his career residing and training at the Mumbai Indians’ facility. Hardik had already planned to leave the Mumbai franchise, and now he is gearing up for a strong India comeback at NCA.
Mumbai Indians want Hardik Pandya as player, not captain
As reported by CricBlogger, Mumbai Indians are not ready to let Hardik Pandya go ahead of the IPL 2027. But the 32-year-old has already decided to start a new chapter in his IPL career after a tough stint with the five-time champions.
The report claimed that the Mumbai Indians still want to retain Hardik as an all-rounder, but they are not looking at him as their future captain. The franchise believes that if they release him, another team will get a huge advantage. That is why they are keen to keep him in the squad because of his batting, bowling and experience, but they do not want his captaincy anymore.
However, multiple reports claimed that Hardik is unlikely to play for Mumbai Indians again. Over the last three years, several issues and frustrations inside the camp have reportedly affected the atmosphere and the relationship, which seems unlikely to improve anytime soon.
Hardik Pandya awaits official trade offers
There is no doubt about Hardik’s record as an IPL captain. He created history by leading Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in their very first season in 2022. In the next season, he once again took Gujarat to the final, where they finished as runners-up after losing to Chennai Super Kings.
But his return to Mumbai Indians did not work out for both sides. Under his captaincy, Mumbai Indians struggled badly in two seasons, but Pandya took them to the playoffs in the 2025 season.
As of now, Hardik has not started talks with any other IPL franchise. It is being said that the star Indian all-rounder is waiting to see if any team officially approaches Mumbai Indians for a trade. Only after that will he think about his next move.
Seven IPL franchises line up for Hardik Pandya
Meanwhile, the race to sign Hardik Pandya before IPL 2027 is getting more exciting. According to reports, seven IPL teams have shown interest in bringing the star all-rounder into their squad. Only Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are not in the race.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have joined the race recently and are now competing with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR). CSK see Hardik as a strong option for the future after MS Dhoni, while both KKR and RR are ready to offer him a leadership role.
Presently, talks are going on between MI, CSK and KKR, but nothing has been finalised. It is still not clear whether the deal will involve a player trade, an all-cash agreement, or if the negotiations will fail altogether. The final decision is expected only after all franchises complete their discussions.
