Hardik Pandya set to join Kolkata Knight Riders?:RR also interested in signing Mumbai Indians star via trade involving Yashasvi Jaiswal

It is no secret that there is a lot of uncertainty about Hardik Pandya’s future at the Mumbai Indians (MI). In a recent development, not one but two other teams- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) have reportedly shown interest in signing the all-rounder. Pandya has had a torrid IPL 2026 campaign where MI, under his captaincy, finished in ninth spot on the points table. The star all-rounder’s return to the Mumbai Indians has not gone as he would have liked, with the team qualifying for the playoffs just once in three years. MI, one of the most successful teams in the IPL, are yet to win the title since 2020. Multiple discussions between KKR and MI over Pandya According to a report in PTI, there have been several discussions between the Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders over Pandya’s transfer to the latter. Much like MI, KKR also endured a tough campaign, one marred by injuries, wherein they finished seventh under Ajinkya Rahane’s leadership. “Ajinkya Rahane was always a stop-gap arrangement for KKR and he was always going to be released after this season. The KKR top brass had approached MI owners towards the end of last season, but since Reliance’s Annual AGM was round the corner, so at that time IPL trade wasn’t the biggest priority,” the PTI report quoted a source as saying. “However, it has been learned that KKR has again approached MI’s top leadership and there have been a few rounds of discussion,” the source added. Having said that, it remains unclear if Pandya’s potential move to KKR would be an all-cash deal like it was when he returned to MI from the Gujarat Titans after IPL 2023, or be a trade with some other player involved. Should Pandya move to KKR, it is highly likely that he takes up the captaincy of the three-time champions. Apart from Rahane, KKR do not have many captaincy options, with Rinku Singh being named vice-captain before the 2026 season. Rajasthan Royals also interested in signing Pandya Not just KKR but RR have also expressed interest in acquiring Pandya. The PTI report further stated that MI have received an offer for a trade involving Yashasvi Jaiswal, but there’s no clarity on the progression of the talks. But should Pandya move to the Rajasthan Royals, he might not get a leadership role. Before IPL 2026, the inaugural champions had announced Riyan Parag as captain and his first full-season as skipper and the Assam star led the team to the playoffs. Parag has also received backing from RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara on a number of occasions. As per the transfer rules in the IPL, only a franchise can have discussions with another franchise when it comes to a player trade. The player also have to have consent for the trade and if there isn’t, then the cricketer would enter the auction pool. Rishabh Pant rejoins Delhi Capitals, Kuldeep Yadav moves to LSG The IPL trade window has witnessed a high-profile move already, with former Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant heading back to the Delhi Capitals (DC), with Kuldeep Yadav going the other way. Pant, who was the most expensive player in IPL history when LSG acquired him for ₹27 crore, took a pay cut to return to DC for ₹15 crore. Kuldeep, on the other hand, embraced a new challenge as he joined the Lucknow Super Giants.