5 teams Hardik Pandya can join after losing MI captaincy ahead of IPL 2027 auction

If the reports are to be believed, then Hardik Pandya’s reign as the Mumbai Indians (MI) captain is coming to an end after their poor campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, where they lost 10 of the 14 games, finishing ninth among the ten franchises, and extended their title drought to six years after winning their fifth trophy in 2020.

The MI side is looking for a hard reset heading into the mini-auction of the IPL 2027, as Hardik is likely to lose the leadership. A discussion, meanwhile, on his place in the squad is also on the cards.

Hardik, despite his poor season with the bat and ball in 2026, where he thumped only 206 runs in 10 innings and picked up four wickets at an economy rate of more than 11, remains one of the most important members of any side.

The Baroda all-rounder’s ability to bowl at least three overs in the powerplay and middle overs of the innings, along with his batting in the middle and lower order, will always remain essential. His presence allows the team to get an extra batter or bowler in the eleven.

Undoubtedly, his form has dropped in this IPL season, but that doesn’t eliminate the quality he has to be part of any franchise of the 20-over tournament. And going into the IPL 2027 mini-auction, there will be a few teams keeping an eye on his position.

KKR, CSK, RR, LSG, or PBKS — Analysing which IPL franchise suits Hardik Pandya best in 2027

It’s still not confirmed whether the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise, along with removing Hardik from the captaincy, will also release the all-rounder from the team. Moreover, it’s interesting if the veteran himself wants to be part of the side from the next season.

Here are the five franchises that can sign Hardik Pandya for the IPL 2027-

#1 Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)-

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) didn’t make a great start to the IPL 2026, having faced five defeats from the first six encounters of the event, including a washed-out result against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). But they made a clinical comeback with seven wins out of the next seven encounters.

KKR had a chance to qualify for the Playoffs even when they started their last league-stage clash. Through the season, they struggled in the lower order for an Indian all-rounder, and Hardik fits the bill. If KKR releases Cameron Green before the IPL 2026, they will get back their INR 25.20 crore and go after the Gujarat-born.

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Hardik has a decent record with 214 runs in nine innings of the IPL at a strike rate of 153.95 at the Eden Gardens, with one fifty besides picking up seven wickets in nine innings at an economy rate of 8.46. They can also look for the leadership aspect in him, if needed, as their current captain, Ajinkya Rahane, could also get released before the next edition.

Kolkata will need an Indian all-rounder badly to contribute with Rinku Singh in the lower order, and Hardik has all of those abilities to crack a successful season with the bat and ball for the side.

#2 Chennai Super Kings (CSK)-

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) experienced a very perplexing edition of the IPL 2026. They also started this campaign with three successive defeats before they earned six victories in the next eight encounters. Just when it felt like it could manage to sneak into the Playoffs, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side lost three successive clashes to end the campaign.

There is a general thumb rule for this franchise and its relation with the players. They say that one could take a player out of CSK, but they can’t take CSK out of the players. Several players, whose careers were hanging in the balance and were not getting the deserved recognition from the world cricket, came into the franchise and turned the tables with some incredible performances in the past.

And that could be the situation with Hardik, who needs a good environment at the primary stage to show his abilities with both bat and ball in hand. Moreover, he will get the connection with MS Dhoni in that dressing room, as they share a very strong bond away from the game.

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If Hardik comes into the CSK side, the Super Kings will be a really strong and balanced side. They can have his three overs on the slow Chennai surface and use him at the lower order of the batting department when they move on from Dhoni, having missed that aspect throughout this season.

However, the Indian all-rounder hasn’t enjoyed a great time in the IPL at the MA Chidambaram Stadium with only 119 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 114.42 and zero fifties. With the bat, he has an economy rate of eight for one solitary wicket in four innings with the ball.

#3 Rajasthan Royals (RR)-

It’s an interesting fact with the Rajasthan Royals (RR). The inaugural champions made a clinical start to the IPL 2026 event with four successive victories before slipping in the middle half of the competition when they recorded six defeats in the next eight encounters of the tournament.

But when it mattered the most, the Riyan Parag-led side gained the victories against the Lucknow franchise and the Mumbai Indians (MI) to qualify for the Playoffs of the event. They knocked out the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Eliminator before losing to the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the second eliminator.

For the entire season, Rajasthan missed an all-rounder in the side. Ravindra Jadeja’s injury towards the business end of the campaign didn’t help their cause either. The spin all-rounder couldn’t bowl in most of those games, and that broke their balance a little bit. And that’s what Hardik will bring balance to the eleven.

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The 33-year-old has smashed a total of 150 runs in six innings of the IPL at an average of 37.5 and a strike rate of 187.50, with the best score of 48 runs at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. At the same venue, he has bagged four wickets at an economy rate of 9.51.

The Royals have been excellent at the opening position with two young and aggressive batters, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, taking charge. They have got stability in the middle order with Dhruv Jurel and Parag. If they get Hardik and Jadeja together, then they can use their overseas options in the pace département.

#4 Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)-

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are currently without a leader after the IPL 2026, as their captain from the last two seasons, Rishabh Pant, decided to step down from the leadership role. His last couple of editions of the 20-over event haven’t been good with the bat as he struggled in the middle order.

In that case, Lucknow needs someone who can handle the pressure of captaincy and also his own performance. The management may look to head towards the two international captains- Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram- for the new captaincy. But there is always an issue with overseas captain, including their form or international commitments during the tournament.

An Indian captain always comes as a blessing for any franchise. And that’s where the stars align with Hardik Pandya, who can easily fit in their combination. It’s noteworthy that the Super Giants didn’t have an experienced all-rounder in the side for the last couple of seasons. And once they left out Krunal Pandya, the issue has come back to haunt them on so many occasions.

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At the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, Hardik has collected 94 runs in just three innings at a strike rate of more than 140. He has also thumped a half-century in that process, with the help of four boundaries and five sixes.

In the bowling department, he has collected seven wickets in the IPL out of just three innings at an average of under 10 and a fine economy rate of 7.66 with one five-wicket haul. That shows he has understood the conditions of the ground, as his cutters and slower deliveries are quite useful.

There is a profit for both parties. Hardik will get the preferred captaincy, and the way Lucknow has performed in the last two seasons, they will anyway go up from thereon. That means there is no extra burden of expectation. Meanwhile, the management will be happy to have someone who is experienced enough to carry the franchise forward in the next five to six years.

#5 Punjab Kings (PBKS)-

Punjab Kings (PBKS) went through a very shocking season of the IPL. Despite beginning the competition with six victories out of the first seven fixtures, including a washed-out result, they failed to make it into the playoffs, having lost six successive games. And their bowling seemed to be the biggest issue.

Punjab also didn’t have a strong all-rounder in the side, and that’s where Hardik comes into the equation. He can take the place of Marcus Stoinis and add value to the side with both bat and ball, allowing the franchise to go for an overseas pacer.

The IPL-winning captain of the Gujarat Titans (GT) has a strike rate of 213.33 at the PBKS home venue, the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, in New Chandigarh.

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The only issue is that he won’t get the captaincy badge on his arm for this franchise with Shreyas Iyer cementing his position. But Hardik shouldn’t mind showing his capability with no burden on his shoulders, and stop the outside noise.

Hardik Pandya's IPL value after MI: What his batting, bowling, and leadership numbers say

Hardik was retained by the Mumbai side for a heavy price of INR 16.35 in the IPL 2026 season. That’s the highest price the former Indian captain has got for any IPL edition after being paid INR 15 crore in 2022, 2023, and 2024 from the Gujarat Titans. 

If he moves into the IPL 2027 mini-auction, the price will only be higher. Most of the franchises will have a huge purse and a few players to pick. And as it has been the case in the past, the players always enjoy these mini-auctions from a financial aspect.

As the leader of the Mumbai Indians, Hardik Pandya has managed 646 runs in 35 innings at a decent strike rate of 147.80. But he hasn’t celebrated a single fifty in this phase and has bagged only 29 wickets at an economy rate of over 10. In the last couple of seasons, the star players haven’t won a single ‘Player of the Match’ award either.

A change always helps from both the franchise and the players’ point of view. Hardik may enjoy a new process for a different side for the IPL 2027 and come stronger with both bat and ball. Even his leadership skills haven’t been bad. He won the inaugural season for the Gujarat Titans in 2022 and ended up as the runner-up in 2023 when they lost the final to the CSK in a nervy contest.

Nonetheless, all of these will happen only if Hardik gets released by the MI side for the 2027 season, but he himself wishes to be part of the five-time champions.