Hardik Pandya to Rajasthan Royals before IPL 2027? Yashasvi Jaiswal set to be traded in return

India all-rounder and Mumbai Indians captain, Hardik Pandya, was not in his best form during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 for the Mumbai Indians (MI), as reports have claimed that he could be traded to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in place of a star opening batter. 

Under Pandya’s leadership, the Mumbai Indians (MI) ended their nightmarish campaign at the ninth position of the points table among the ten sides. They earned only four victories in 14 clashes at a net run rate of -0.584.

What the reports say: Hardik Pandya–Yashasvi Jaiswal trade talks explained

The latest reports have informed that Hardik Pandya is set to join the Rajasthan Royals camp ahead of the IPL 2027. As per the discussions, he will make a move to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) side, who are likely to give away their opening batter, Yashasvi Jaiswal, to the Mumbai Indians. 

While the trade-off seems very tight to happen, a slight possibility hangs in the corner because of Jaiswal’s disappointment with the RR management that spread like fire during the 2026 season of the campaign.

For the trade to take place, both players need to agree along with the franchises. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) also seem to have approached the Mumbai side for the services of Pandya.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been a superb performer in the IPL. Moreover, the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is also his home venue in domestic cricket. But the five-time champions already have a strong top order in the presence of Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, and even Tilak Varma, in which case, Jaiswal’s trade doesn’t make sense.

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

However, the RR side could get the advantage of an Indian pacer and a powerful lower-order batter, along with the experience of Hardik. Nonetheless, these are only reports as no confirmation has been made yet.

Hardik Pandya's IPL 2026 form: Why Mumbai Indians may be open to a trade

Hardik, who has smashed a total of 2955 runs in 150 innings of the IPL at an average of under 28 and a strike rate of 146.28 with 10 half-centuries, struggled to get going in 2026, having collected only 206 runs in 10 innings with the bat at a strike rate of 138.25. He hasn’t scored a fifty across the last three seasons since his return for the Mumbai Indians.

Even with the ball, the Indian star couldn’t do well, having picked up only four wickets in 10 innings of IPL 2026 at an economy rate of 11.42. Moreover, there was a clash between the player and the side as Hardik unfollowed the franchise on Instagram for a couple of days during the event.

Yashasvi Jaiswal's IPL 2026 season: What the Mumbai Indians would be getting

Jaiswal’s form would never be a concern. The southpaw, who smashed 427 runs in 16 innings of the IPL 2026 at a strike rate of 152.50 with three half-centuries, has crossed the 400-run mark in the last four successive seasons of the competition. He will bring experience and a fiery batting option at the top for the MI side.

See Also: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi breaks Yashasvi Jaiswal's uncapped-player runs record with 680 runs in IPL 2026

He perhaps wasn’t happy with the RR management, as the limelight on him shifted in the last two seasons after the arrival of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Moreover, he wasn’t even given the leadership despite being a strong contender for the blue brigade, as the management went ahead with Riyan Parag for the role.