Hardik Pandya could be at the centre of the Indian Premier League’s biggest trade story ahead of the 2027 season, with Mumbai Indians considering a significant overhaul after enduring its longest title drought in the competition.

While no trade has been officially confirmed, conversations around Hardik’s future had gathered momentum even before the conclusion of IPL 2026.

Chennai Super Kings has emerged as a possible next stop for the India all-rounder — and, given his profile, there would be no shortage of suitors if he does become available — while Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals have also been understood to be considering the Hardik option.

The speculation comes after three contrasting seasons for MI. After a disastrous 2024 campaign, the five-time champion recovered to reach the playoffs in 2025 before another underwhelming performance in 2026 prompted a comprehensive review within the franchise.

“Our post-season review is currently on and we are looking into all aspects. Contrary to reports, we are not engaged in conversations with regard to player trade. The same is only possible once the review is complete,” an MI spokesperson told The Hindu on Saturday. “A range of options and ideas are being evaluated, which require time… hence no decisions have been made.”

That review extends well beyond the captaincy. Sources close to the franchise indicate MI is evaluating its leadership group, coaching staff and overall cricket operations as it looks to rebuild a side that has failed to challenge consistently for the title in recent years.

Despite the growing buzz, Hardik’s exit is far from certain. His decision to part ways with MI’s talent management arm has fuelled speculation, but it is not being viewed as a complete break with the franchise.

Historically, MI has retained its core players for long periods and continues to be regarded as one of the strongest player-management ecosystems in Indian sport, making any move involving its captain a complex one.

The trade market, meanwhile, remains in its early stages, with most franchises still conducting post-season reviews before finalising their plans — meaning multiple scenarios will likely continue to circulate across the league in the coming weeks.

Whether Hardik leaves or not, one thing appears increasingly clear: Mumbai Indians is unlikely to head into IPL 2027 with the same core that has represented the franchise over the last three seasons.

And if the India all-rounder does switch teams, it could prove to be the defining move of this trade window.

Delhi Capitals coach Hemang Badani blamed missed moments, fielding lapses and inconsistency for the team’s failure to qualify for the IPL playoffs. He felt that a few crucial situations across the season ultimately went against the team, which finished with seven wins (sixth position).

“There were several games where the match could have gone either way, but we failed to seize those crucial moments. The Gujarat [Titans] game that we lost by one run is one example. Even defending 264 [against Punjab Kings], you would back yourself to win from that position,” Badani said on Sunday (May 25, 2026).

He also pointed to poor fielding and batting collapses at critical times. “Against Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, we dropped catches at important stages. With the bat as well, we lost wickets in clusters too often. Those small moments eventually made a huge difference,” he added.

Badani felt that the team’s bowling unit also struggled to create sustained pressure. “As a bowling side, you ideally want to keep picking wickets and build pressure. We were among the lower sides in that aspect,” he said.

“The difference between qualifying and missing out comes down to small margins. In this tournament, you have to stay alert and give your all on every single ball,” Badani added.

Moments after Delhi Capitals suffered a harrowing loss to Kolkata Knight Riders at home on May 8, skipper Axar Patel, resigned to his team not making the playoffs of IPL 2026, said the remaining three league games would be used to give opportunities to newer players. One of the beneficiaries of Axar’s view has been all-rounder Madhav Tiwari.

The 22-year-old from Madhya Pradesh — his family hails from Rewa district but he was born and brought up in Indore — has grabbed his opportunity in DC’s previous two matches.

The seamer picked up two wickets apiece against both Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals, and he also provided a glimpse of his ability with the willow during an unbeaten 14-ball 18 to seal a successful chase at the expense of Shreyas Iyer’s men.

Curiously, Madhav, whose IPL debut came against Mumbai Indians last year, is yet to feature for his State team at the senior level. He attracted the attention of Capitals when he turned out for Bhopal Leopards in the maiden Madhya Pradesh T20 League in 2024.

“What was spoken about Madhav when we picked him was that he was somebody who liked the pressure. He can bat, hit a long ball, and also bowl through all three phases,” DC head coach Hemang Badani told the media.

Madhav owes his cricketing skills to former India batter Amay Khurasiya, having trained at the 54-year-old’s academy in Indore since the age of 12. As Khurasiya recounts, Madhav, whose father has a transport and logistics business, was a reluctant bowler to begin with.

“Those kids who bat well generally don’t like bowling. He was one of those kids who loved batting,” Khurasiya told The Hindu. “He never enjoyed bowling, but he somehow took my advice. I have been particular about everyone developing both the fundamental skills in the game.”

Delhi Capitals (DC) batter K.L. Rahul joined an elite company, reaching his 50th fifty-plus score of his Indian Premier League (IPL) and registering his eighth 500-run season in his career so far.

A vigilant half-century by Rahul and his 105-run stand with Abhisek Porel played a crucial role in keeping DC’s playoff hopes alive as they secured their sixth win of the season by five wickets against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday (May 17, 2026). After a horrific run of five losses at home, DC ended their home run with a win they would cherish.

Rahul scored a fine 56 in 42 balls, with four and three sixes at a strike rate of over 133. So far this season, Rahul has been the fourth-highest run-getter and the top run-getter for DC, with 533 runs in 14 innings at an average of 44.41 and a strike rate of almost 172, with a century and four fifties, including a best score of 152*.

He also registered his eighth 500-plus run season in IPL history, the second-most by a batter, just behind RCB and Indian batting icon Virat Kohli, who has nine such seasons.

The 2020 season with Punjab Kings (PBKS) has been his richest season, with 670 runs in 14 innings at an average of 55.83 and a strike rate of 129.83, with a century and five fifties. That season, he went on to win the Orange Cap for most runs.

This is his 50th fifty-plus score, placing him in an elite list with Virat Kohli (76, nine centuries and 67 fifties), David Warner (66, four centuries and 62 fifties), Shikhar Dhawan (53, two centuries and 51 fifties) and Rohit Sharma (51, with two centuries and 49 fifties). In his IPL career, Rahul, the fifth-highest run-getter, has scored 5,755 runs in 158 matches and 149 innings at an average of 46.04 and a strike rate of 138.70, with six centuries and 44 fifties.

His record against RR is great, having made 882 runs in 19 innings at an average of 51.88 and a strike rate of 135.27, with nine fifties and a best score of 95*.

Rahul has made a hat-trick of 500-plus run seasons, having done so last year (539 runs in 13 innings, with a century and three fifties). He had five 500-plus run seasons in a row from 2018-2022 for PBKS and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), the second-most for a batter, behind David Warner’s glorious run of six such seasons with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) from 2014-2020.

Coming to the match, DC won the toss and opted to bowl first. After the early dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (46 in 21 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and Dhruv Jurel put on a 70-run stand. Later, Jurel also provided support to skipper Riyan Parag, who registered his second fifty this season with 51 in 26 balls, with three fours and five sixes. But from 162/2, RR collapsed to 193/8 in 20 overs, with Mitchell Starc (4/39), Lungi Ngidi (2/24) and Madhav Tiwari (2/27) tightening the screws.

During the chase, Abhisek (51 in 31 balls, with seven fours and a six) and KL Rahul (56 in 42 balls, with a four and three sixes) put on a 105-run stand, after which they sank to 153/4. Knocks from skipper Axar Patel (34* in 18 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Ashutosh Sharma (18*) finished off the chase with five wickets and four balls in hand.

DC is in seventh place, with six wins and seven losses, giving them 12 points. RR is placed fifth, with six wins and six losses, giving them 12 points.

For a long period of the night, Rajasthan Royals seemed destined to bury Delhi Capitals under a massive first-innings score, until Mitchell Starc arrived to change the script entirely. With RR cruising at 160 for 2, powered by aggressive knocks from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, and Riyan Parag, Starc produced a devastating burst in the death overs that derailed the innings completely.

The Australian pacer reduced the Royals to 166 for 5 in the space of an over and later dismissed Dasun Shanaka to finish with four wickets, a spell that ultimately proved decisive in DC’s five-wicket win.

Starc’s game-changing performance earned glowing praise from Capitals head coach Hemang Badani, calling the 36-year-old “one of the best role models in the sport.”

“His work ethic, his preparation with his own plans, and his training are above par. I don’t even see that with a lot of the younger boys. That’s the reason why he is sustained for so long. He is always talking to the younger lads and trying to pass on the knowledge. There is immense conversation that Starkey brings to the table.”

Badani also lamented Starc’s absence for a significant portion of the season, while expressing hope that a long-term solution could eventually be worked out between franchises and national boards.

“Ideally, I want my players available from day one. Stark is probably one of the biggest players in my squad. We’ve invested in him and we know that he’s a match-winner. But there are certain things which are above my pay grade and are decided by associations and governing bodies. If Cricket Australia does not release him, which was also the case with (Josh) Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, there’s little a coach or a franchise can do about it.”

Badani also steered clear of dwelling on the “what ifs” surrounding DC’s rotating opening combinations through the season, insisting that decisions always appear simpler in hindsight.

“If you go back to 2025, our issues were up top. Our openers were Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abhishek Porel, and K.L. Rahul. We just couldn’t figure out the right partnership. Hence, we were keen to have a proper opener with K.L., and that’s why we went to Pathum Nissanka and Ben Duckett. We were quite keen to get that partnership at the top going,” he explained.

“Pathum did give us 40s, 50s and 60s. I could be greedy and say that he could’ve given me a game of 80 or 100, but he’s not done badly. It’s now more the case of… with Abhishek Porel giving us 100 partnerships, which has happened later through the season, it might just feel that maybe we could have gone to him earlier, but it is a very easy conversation to have right now.”

As has often been the case this campaign, Badani doubled down on his opposition to the lack of home advantage on pitches at the team’s base at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. DC could only secure two victories in seven games at home this season.

“We primarily struggled at home. Add in last year, and we have four wins here from 12 games, and one of them being a Super Over. That pretty much tells you how the surface hasn’t been conducive to our style of play. We’ve many times not been able to figure out what the surface is like,” he said.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s blistering 21-ball 46 laid the foundation for what looked like a towering Rajasthan Royals total, before Mitchell Starc’s fiery spell at the death dragged Delhi Capitals back into the contest.

Sooryavanshi fell to a slower delivery from Madhav Tiwari, not the first time a change of pace proved effective in dismissing the 15-year-old this season. But RR batting coach Vikram Rathour dismissed suggestions that pace variation is a glaring weakness in the youngster’s game.

“Nobody is perfect. Everybody will have some weakness here and there. I don’t think slow ball is a weakness for him. I want bowlers to try that. On a wicket like this, where the ball is gripping a bit, a change of pace is good against anybody. It’s not only Vaibhav, who is a special player. Enough has been said about his ability and how good he is,” he opined.

“He provided us with a really good start. I just hope he converts one inning and goes deeper. The way he is batting and the way he prepares, I am sure that’s not too far off. We will see one of those innings which he will really convert and play a big knock. Otherwise, we are pretty happy with the way he is batting. We want him to bat that way.”

The former India batter also stressed that T20 success does not demand a one-dimensional approach, citing Virat Kohli as proof that batters. 

“Somebody like Virat is still extremely successful, even in this format. I won’t call him an out-and-out power-hitting player. That tells you that there’s scope for everybody to succeed, provided you have belief in your abilities and can commit to whatever options you take while you are batting. Back yourself.”

“You need to identify and know your strengths. And if you back your strengths and you play to your strengths, you can score runs. Dhruv (Jurel) need not bat like Vaibhav. Vaibhav shouldn’t look to bat like Dhruv. They have their own strengths and own ways of scoring. If they keep backing that and keep believing in their ability, they can succeed easily and we’ve seen that happening.”

Rathour also clarified that Ravindra Jadeja’s absence was down to a niggle rather than workload management, contrary to skipper Riyan Parag’s remarks before the match.

The equation for Delhi Capitals is simple: win the remaining three IPL 2026 matches and see where those results take the team on the table.

Even a perfect record in the remainder of the league stage is unlikely to be enough for DC to make the playoff grade, but it could be the seeds of future success. It is what Capitals batting coach Ian Bell alluded to on Sunday (May 10, 2026), the eve of the bout against Punjab Kings.

“We have got three big games for the individuals and franchise. It is really important that we come here with the expectation of winning all of them. That is the focus of the team. We are proud to represent DC, and the players will do everything for the badge and fans,” Bell said.

“We want to finish as high as we possibly can on the table because positivity is important. We need to be more consistent, not just at the end of the season but moving forward as well.”

Bell admitted that Capitals failed to show ruthlessness in the crunch.

“I believe in the talent we have in our group, but we have been inconsistent. If you look at the opportunities we had in a few games, we should have taken those, especially when playing at the highest level against world-class players. We probably have not done that ruthlessly enough. We were in with a chance in a lot of games, but we did not take those big moments.”

DC has been duly punished for it.

The IPL 2026 playoffs are just a little over two weeks away, but Punjab Kings appears to be making a fresh start. Given that top-four contender PBKS has hit a roadblock with three successive losses, it may not be a bad thing to do.

Kings fast-bowling coach James Hopes, who described the defeats as “missteps”, backed the Shreyas Iyer-captained side to fire in the ‘new tournament’ within the 19th edition. “It is a little bit of a hiccup,” Hopes said ahead of the fixture against Delhi Capitals.

“Any team which thinks that it can sail all the way without losing a game is kidding itself. For us, the tournament starts now. We are about three weeks of good cricket away from giving ourselves a chance to win the title,” added the Australian.

He, however, insisted that PBKS was not putting itself under pressure by thinking too far ahead. “We have to focus on what is next — the match against Capitals.”

Changes on the cards?

Hopes said that the return of Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai provided the think-tank the option of fielding two specialist spinners in Yuzvendra Chahal and Harpreet Brar.

Omarzai had flown back home and was unavailable for a few matches because of the demise of his mother. “With Omarzai back, we now have the opportunity to switch things up a little bit and still carry our fast-bowling [resources]. It is nice to have a full squad to pick from. As for Harpreet, he performs whenever he gets a game,” Hopes added.

As the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) most expensive overseas recruit ever at ₹25.2 crore, Australia’s Cameron Green had many more eyeballs fixed on his exploits for Kolkata Knight Riders this season.

A patchy start to the tournament, coupled with KKR’s streak of losses, meant Green was in the firing line, but the all-rounder from Perth — an imposing presence at 6’6” — has got better as the competition has progressed.

The 26-year-old has contributed 232 runs and four wickets in 10 matches for the three-time champion. While he would have certainly liked to make more of an impact, he hasn’t felt any additional pressure because of his price tag.

“The support staff never put any pressure on me. They have been awesome to me since day one. I was never made to feel that there was any extra pressure compared to anyone else,” Green said after Knight Riders defeated Delhi Capitals on Friday (May 8, 2026).

“There’s always pressure on the international guys. You have to be performing at all times because the guys on the bench are also ready to go. But, no, I’ll probably have the support staff to thank for that.”

KKR’s hopes of reaching the playoffs appeared derailed when it went winless in its first six matches. Now, a run of four victories on the trot has given Ajinkya Rahane and Co. a fresh lease of life. Asked for his view on the resurgence, Green argued that the belief was always intact.

“I didn’t think the belief was ever gone. We’ve had a really good culture this whole tournament,” he opined.

A beleaguered Axar Patel admitted that both his team’s batters and bowlers let the side down after Delhi Capitals suffered a humiliating eight-wicket defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders, virtually ending their IPL 2026 playoff hopes, while indicating the team had already begun looking ahead to the next season.

DC endured a miserable outing at home, managing only 142/8, which Kolkata Knight Riders chased down in just 14.2 overs, powered by a blistering unbeaten 100 from Finn Allen and his destructive stand with Cameron Green (33 not out) as the visitors tore apart the bowling attack.

With just eight points from 11 matches, DC are eighth on the table, while KKR revived their playoff hopes with a resurgent run, moving to seventh with nine points from 10 outings, though their road to the knockouts still remains difficult.

“For now, we’ll go back and think about the mistakes we made. After that, obviously there’s still a long journey ahead and next year will come too. So we’ll think about what plans we can make for next year and what approach we should take,” said Axar after the match.

“Based on that, we can also look at the players sitting on the bench and decide who can be given opportunities and what changes we can make,” he added, hinting at a possible major overhaul next season.

With 200-plus totals becoming the norm this season, 142 was always going to be inadequate, and Axar admitted the score was well below par while also pointing out at poor judgement shown by the spinners while defending the modest total.

“I think the runs were definitely below par and at the same time the spinners made quite a few mistakes. Looking at the way the pitch behaved, I feel the spinners did make errors.

“At the same time, we lost five wickets in two-three overs, and I think that’s where the momentum slipped away from us. That’s probably something we need to think about because the same thing happened against CSK…we started well, and then suddenly wickets kept falling,” he added.

He admitted the solutions to the issues could be found but players need to show the right mindset and character.

“See, you can’t solve it in a complicated way. So, I think it’s more about applying the right mindset. Even if you lose one or two wickets, you can still spend time at the crease and play through it. I think that’s what needs to be applied, when wickets are falling in clusters, you need to absorb the pressure for an over or two,” opined Axar.

KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane was pleased to see a struggling Finn Allen finally rediscover his touch with the bat.

“I’m really happy for Finn Allen. He was struggling first four or five games, working really hard, but the way he batted tonight was fantastic. But I want to praise our bowlers again.

“We did well because of them. And they’ve been doing it so well consistently, especially those middle overs and the death overs. Our spinners, Sunil Narine, Varun (Chakravarthy) and Anukul Roy, have been fantastic,” he said.

“Fielding-wise, yes, we are working really hard. Our fielding coach has been really strict with us. And that’s what has been helping us. The result which you’ve been seeing about the catches and the ground fielding, credit goes to our fielding coach as well,” he added.