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The Indian Premier League is over for this year, but it left a warm feeling around as there are multiple speculations involving multiple top-tier talents' future with their present franchises.
Hardik Pandya remains one of the hot topics after another underwhelming IPL season with the Mumbai Indians (MI) as their captain. If the latest media reports are to be believed, then Hardik Pandya is on the brink of making a golden handshake with the Mumbai Indians ahead of the next IPL season.
KKR is all set to replace Ajinkya Rahane
According to the latest media reports, there are multiple interests for Hardik Pandya, including one strong interest. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have reportedly been in constant touch with the MI franchise.
Even before the conclusion of the 2026 season, there were multiple question marks over Ajinkya Rahane’s future in the franchise, under whose captaincy the multi-time league winners failed to impress in back-to-back seasons.
Sources indicate that the KKR officials are actively looking to replace Rahane to make a shuffle in the leadership roles. Hardik Pandya, who guided the Gujarat Titans to claim a title, has appeared as a top contender to replace Ajinkya Rahane.
Hardik Pandya could join KKR from the Mumbai Indians
According to the sources, the franchise mostly considered the experienced opener as a stopgap captain, not for a long-term role.
“Ajinkya Rahane was always a stop-gap arrangement for KKR, and he was always going to be released after this season. The KKR top brass had approached MI owners towards the end of last season, but since Reliance's annual AGM was around the corner, at that time IPL trade wasn't the biggest priority,” a source close to the development informs the news agency PTI.
It is further informed that the Kolkata-based franchise has multiple rounds of discussions, and the conversations are expected to prolong as the Knight Riders are eager to appoint a new captain ahead of another season.
“However, it has been learned that KKR has again approached MI's top leadership, and there have been a few rounds of discussion,” the source further mentioned.
A trade deal can be an option
Despite the underwhelming performances, Hardik Pandya remains one of the most prominent pace-bowling all-rounders across the nations, especially in the white-ball format. It is needless to say that the Kolkata Knight Riders will have to pay a hefty price if the Mumbai Indians agree to make a deal with them.
The player transfer can be through an all-cash deal or through a trade. A trade deal will allow the Mumbai Indians to pick a player from the present squad of KKR. If both of the parties agree on a trade deal, then who will leave Kolkata to make their footprints in Mumbai? As of now, there is no clear answer to it.
It is also necessary to remember that, according to the IPL rules, none of the contracted players are allowed to communicate with any other franchises regarding a transfer. Rajasthan Royals, another franchise, may have an interest in Pandya. However, there is no concrete evidence regarding this.
