Aakash Chopra says MI can cope without Hardik Pandya as PBKS trade nears completion

Former India batter Aakash Chopra said on November 8, 2026 that Mumbai Indians will not miss Hardik Pandya much as a trade sending Pandya to Punjab Kings edges closer to completion, and India Today learnt the deal is all but done with MI set to receive Arshdeep Singh in exchange.

Hardik’s second stint with Mumbai has been described in the report as torrid, with the all-rounder failing to guide MI to the playoffs last season and facing questions over his captaincy during the IPL 2026 campaign. Chopra, speaking on his YouTube channel, argued the squad retains sufficient batting options and listed several members of MI’s lineup in support of that view.

Chopra’s assessment in the video included the following: "It's a serious attack. Will they miss Hardik? Kill me for saying this, they won't miss him as much. You know how much I like Hardik Pandya, but the truth is that they will manage. If you see their batting, Rohit Sharma comes with either Ryan Rickelton or Quinton de Kock. Then you have Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Sherfane Rutherford to bat in the middle, and Naman Dhir. You have depth and quality in batting. You can now play Will Jacks easily," he said in a video on his YouTube channel.

The report states the proposed swap would send Arshdeep Singh to Mumbai in exchange for Hardik Pandya, and that both franchises have notified the BCCI of their intent. The transfer is described as close to finalisation but pending administrative clearance.

Chopra also suggested that Mumbai Indians will release Trent Boult alongside Hardik ahead of the IPL 2027 auction, a move he raised while outlining possible roster adjustments.

Punjab Kings, according to the same report, will not hand over captaincy to Hardik if the move is completed; the franchise will retain Shreyas Iyer as captain for the next season. For Mumbai, the report says Rohit Sharma is expected to return as skipper after a three-year absence.

The immediate procedural step is formal approval from the BCCI: the two teams expect the trade to receive final sign-off within the next 24 to 72 hours, subject to the completion of the board's administrative formalities.