Hardik Pandya has joined Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings in a big trade move ahead of IPL 2027 (Credit: BCCI) After moving their skipper to Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a blockbuster Indian Premier League (IPL) transaction that saw pacer Arshdeep Singh join the five-time champions, the Mumbai Indians (MI) tweeted an emotional tribute for Hardik Pandya. Hardik's three-year second stint with MI was disappointing because the team missed out on the playoffs in two of those seasons. Hardik also had poor batting results at that time, scoring just 647 runs while taking 35 wickets. MI wished Hardik success in all of his future undertakings. The franchise thanked him for being a part of its journey through the highs and lows in an emotional farewell video that was posted separately. "Thank you, Hardik, for representing the Blue and Gold with passion and pride. We wish you the best for the journey ahead," MI captioned their post on X. "Through the highs, the lows, and everything in between, thank you for being a part of the Mumbai Indians story, Hardik," MI stated in another post. Hardik's second stint with MI, a team he won four IPL titles with, comes to an end with his trade. He joined MI in 2015, and during the team's championship-winning seasons in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020, he had prominent roles with both bat and ball. When Hardik rejoined MI in 2024 and succeeded Rohit Sharma as captain, the team's performance got bad. He has taken 82 wickets and amassed 2,955 runs at a strike rate of 146.28 in 162 IPL games. Hardik's salary increased from Rs 16.35 crore to Rs 18 crore when he joined PBKS. Pandya’s trade brings the curtain down on his second stint with MI, a franchise with which he won four IPL titles. Having first joined MI in 2015, Pandya developed into one of the league’s most impactful all-rounders, contributing with both bat and ball during the team’s title-winning campaigns in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. After seven seasons with Mumbai, Hardik Pandya moved to Gujarat Titans (GT) ahead of IPL 2022 and made an immediate impact as captain, leading the franchise to the title in its debut season. GT also reached the final in 2023 before Pandya returned to MI in 2024 and took over the captaincy. Across 162 IPL matches, he has scored 2,955 runs at a strike rate of 146.28 and claimed 82 wickets, underlining his value as a proven match-winner. Nikhil is an accomplished sports journalist with extensive experience spanning several years across digital, and multimedia platforms. Currently contr... View More