Ness Wadia says trading Arshdeep for Hardik was difficult but beneficial ahead of IPL 2027
Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia said the franchise’s swap of Arshdeep Singh to Mumbai Indians for Hardik Pandya ahead of IPL 2027 was a tough, mutually agreed decision, in an exclusive interview with India Today published on 2026-11-11. Wadia described parting with Arshdeep after eight years as emotional but defended the move as one both franchises wanted and approved by the BCCI after about a month of discussions.
Wadia outlined the mechanics and human side of the trade, noting that Hardik Pandya joins Punjab as a five-time IPL winner while Arshdeep has left the franchise that nurtured him into a high-quality international bowler. He called Arshdeep a "wonderful human being and a tremendous performer" and said he was pleased a successful franchise recognised the fast bowler’s value. Wadia stressed the decision was collective, involving Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, captain Shreyas Iyer and the coaching staff.
On captaincy, Wadia made it clear there had been no move to replace Shreyas Iyer with Hardik, saying, "There is only one sarpanch," Wadia said, underlining that there had been no discussion about replacing Shreyas with Hardik. He added that having Hardik play under Shreyas would allow the all-rounder to concentrate on his on-field contributions rather than taking on leadership duties and cited Hardik’s prior working relationship with head coach Ricky Ponting as a factor in the agreement.
Addressing fitness and form, Wadia confirmed Hardik had a recent minor shin niggle but was recovering and, in his view, would be ready well before IPL 2027. He said he had spoken with Hardik personally and found him to be in "a very good mental space," describing the player as calm and excited about joining Punjab Kings. Wadia emphasised the franchise wanted Hardik to feel respected, loved and appreciated and hoped he would see Punjab as a long-term home rather than a one-season stop.
Wadia acknowledged Arshdeep’s departure left Punjab without one of its most dependable seam options but expressed confidence in the existing bowling group, naming Yash Thakur, Vaibhav Arora, Harpreet Brar and Marco Jansen as players the franchise could rely on. He also mentioned international bowling options such as Xavier Bartlett as possibilities to be considered during the auction. Wadia reflected on T20 conditions favouring batters but reiterated that bowling remained an important part of the team’s planning.
On squad balance, Wadia listed Punjab’s all-rounder resources as Cooper Connolly, Harpreet Brar, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Hardik Pandya and Shashank Singh and said the franchise’s composition offered flexibility in match situations. He argued the modern game demanded players who could contribute in multiple departments while acknowledging the value of specialists, and he indicated the auction would be used to address any remaining gaps.
Wadia would not rule out further trades, saying deals could occur until the final moments and that several conversations were ongoing between franchises. He also revealed work was under way to finalise changes to Punjab’s support staff, with some positions expected to be filled within the week, and that retentions were an immediate priority with the deadline approaching. Wadia supported proposals from Lalit Modi and Juhi Chawla for an extended IPL window, suggesting a January slot could help players cope with heat and rain and reduce workload, but he added that shifting the tournament would depend on agreement among international and domestic stakeholders and on the cricketing calendar.
Wadia said the franchise will assess options at the auction to reinforce its resources and complete planned support-staff changes ahead of the retention deadline, positioning Punjab Kings to finalise their squad for IPL 2027.