According to reports published by the Hindustan Times, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings could be heading into one of the biggest trades of the IPL 2027 season. Hardik Pandya and his trade with CSK has been a speculation by every cricket pundit after Pandya was seen interacting with the CSK owners after the CSK vs MI match in Chepauk.

The rumours have now formed a strong basis as according to reports, MI have laid their conditions where they want Shivam Dube and the young CSK prodigy Ayush Mhatre in exchange of skipper Hardik Pandya. As per media reports, CSK however are not willing to part ways with Mhatre and have offered Dewald Brewis instead of the Mumbai player and Rs 10 crore and the trade of Shivam Dube.

Neither franchises have confirmed the deal. However, the trade has taken an extremely interesting turn. Hardik Pandya is one of the rarest commodities in Indian cricket, as he offered middle order stability, 4 overs of bowling and also leadership while leaving an overseas spot empty.

Hardik Pandya’s overall cricketing experience and talent makes him an exceptional talent that every team would be willing to give away ,crores if he enters the auction. His IPL 2026 numbers, however, do not resemble those of a player commanding a blockbuster trade package. Hardik scored 206 runs at an average of 22.89 and a strike rate of 138.26.

He did not make a fifty, while his returns at the death were particularly modest for a player expected to provide late-innings acceleration: 49 runs from 37 balls at a strike rate of 132.4. His bowling was an even bigger concern. Hardik took only four wickets from 22.4 overs and conceded 11.43 runs per over. His economy rose to 15.75 at the death, while he conceded 13.75 per over in the powerplay. His most effective period was between overs 12 and 16, where his economy dropped to 7.80.

“Bilateral white-ball series are not a priority”: BCCI to prioritise Hardik Pandya's fitness over bilateral series ahead of 2027 ODI World Cup

The BCCI have ultimately come to a conclusive decision regarding the fitness of all-rounder Hardik Pandya and his inclusion in the Indian team. The board does not view Hardik Pandya as the first choice in the bilateral series because of his history with injuries which could risk his availability for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Pandya was supposed to make his comeback in the Indian ODI squad for the series against Afghanistan but a quadriceps sprain has kept him occupied in the BCCI CoE.

However, his recovery is reportedly back on track. A report from RevSportz revealed that despite some minor hiccups, Hardik is close to peak fitness and working toward achieving an optimum level of performance for the 2027 World Cup.

A source told RevSportz, "Hardik's recovery had a few hiccups, but it's absolutely fine now." The board reportedly isn't worried about his selection for bilateral series at this time. The source further added, "Given his injury record, bilateral white-ball series are not a priority for him at the moment.”