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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Hardik Pandya is set to leave the Mumbai Indians following their dismal IPL 2026 campaign
- A former Indian cricketer predicted that Pandya has a 99.9 per cent chance of joining the Chennai Super Kings
- MI finished ninth in IPL 2026, winning just four of their 14 league matches
Is Hardik Pandya leaving Mumbai Indians?
Hardik Pandya has firmly established himself as one of the top all-rounders for Team India and for the Mumbai Indians. But the five-time IPL champions were totally outplayed in the 2026 campaign, finishing 9th on the leaderboard.
For a serial winner like Pandya, who has lifted five trophies with this franchise, it was the signal that it's time to leave Mumbai for greener pastures. According to a PTI report, Pandya informed the MI management mid-season about his decision to leave the franchise, citing mental stress and complete exhaustion.
The report added that both parties had reached a mutual understanding on parting ways once the team's playoff hopes were officially extinguished. And according to former Indian player Hanuma Vihari, CSK might be the side where Pandya is most likely to go from here on.
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Former India star reveals which franchise Hardik Pandya will join after leaving MI
Former India international Hanuma Vihari believes there's a 99.9% chance that Pandya will leave before the next season starts. The bold claim has only intensified what is already one of the most anticipated potential trade stories ahead of IPL 2027.
"They can trade an all-rounder as well, but the options are less. Hardik, they won't get. I think 99.9% he will go to CSK. They have to somehow find a foreign all-rounder, be it an Australian, or England, or a South African. I feel that is the only loophole as such; otherwise, the team is still set," he said on his YouTube channel.
Pandya's three seasons as the captain of MI since his return from the Gujarat Titans have left no argument that neither the team nor the captain was in any shape to be title contenders. The all-rounder was equally underwhelming, scoring just 206 runs at 22.89 while picking up four wickets at 64.75.
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What a potential trade for Hardik Pandya could look like?
Former CSK batsman Subramanium Badrinath proposed a specific trade scenario where MI exchanges Pandya for CSK's Shivam Dube and Ayush Mhatre.
"If I am MI, I would trade Hardik for Shivam Dube and Ayush Mhatre from CSK," he said, arguing that both clubs would benefit significantly from the deal.
Whether the trade materialises remains to be seen, with official confirmation from either franchise still pending. What is clear is that Pandya's time at MI is over, and his next IPL chapter will be watched closely by franchises and national selectors ahead of the 2027 season.
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