Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur is set to join Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Both Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and MI have submitted an expression of interest to the IPL governing council, which will finalize the trade after the official process is completed.

According to ESPNcricinfo, MI has reached an in-principle agreement with LSG to acquire Thakur through an all-cash trade deal. This becomes the third trade involving Thakur in IPL history. Rising Pune Supergiant bought him from Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2017, and Kolkata Knight Riders acquired him from Delhi Capitals before IPL 2023, both through all-cash transactions.

Thakur went unsold at the 2025 mega auction but was later signed by LSG as a replacement for Mohsin Khan at his base price of INR 2 crore. He began well, taking six wickets in his first two matches of the IPL 2025, but a dip in form later saw him end with 13 wickets in 10 matches at an economy of 11.02.

Homecoming for Thakur; Separate Trade Talks for Tendulkar

For Thakur, the move to Mumbai marks a homecoming. He was part of MI’s setup as a support bowler between 2010 and 2012 and has also captained Mumbai in domestic cricket. His experience with the franchise and understanding of the conditions at home could play a crucial role as MI look to strengthen their pace attack.

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Earlier, R Ashwin unintentionally revealed details of a possible trade involving Thakur and Deepak Chahar, implying MI had brought in Thakur in exchange for the injury-prone Chennai Super Kings pacer. However, a Cricbuzz report clarified that MI and LSG are discussing separate cash-based deals involving Shardul Thakur and Arjun Tendulkar, not a direct swap. The IPL authorities are expected to confirm the trade once all paperwork is completed.