All-rounder Hardik Pandya has reacted for the first time after he was traded from Mumbai Indians (MI) to Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of IPL 2027, on Wednesday (November 11).

Hardik moved to Punjab at an increased fee of Rs 18 crore, while PBKS traded left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh for him, completing the biggest and most high-profile exchange of players in the history of IPL.

Pandya’s existing fee was Rs 16.35 crore. Arshdeep, on the other hand, moved to Mumbai at an unchanged price tag of Rs 18 crore, read a statement from the IPL.

What Hardik said

After joining Punjab, Hardik took to his Instagram account to post a heartfelt message for the franchise and called Shreyas Iyer as “my captain”.

Also read: Hardik Pandya moves to PBKS

“My Coach. Ricky. My team. All of Punjab. I am standing behind you. My Captain. Shreyas (sic),” Hardik wrote. The post has already garnered more than 3.7 million likes.

Having first joined MI in 2015, the 33-year-old Hardik had starring roles with both bat and ball during the team’s title-winning campaigns in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. After seven seasons with Mumbai, Pandya moved to Gujarat Titans (GT) at a fee of Rs 15 crore in 2022 and led the franchise to the title in its debut season.

Pandya returned to MI in 2024, taking over captaincy from stalwart Rohit Sharma but the franchise’s performance nose-dived and it was speculated that the injury-ravaged maverick was unhappy with how things panned out.

He struggled to win over fans after taking over leadership and was incessantly booed in the first season after his return. The second season was slightly better but by the end of the third season (2026), things went downhill.

Across 162 IPL matches, Hardik has scored 2,955 runs at a strike rate of 146.28 and claimed 82 wickets, underlining his value as a proven match-winner.

Arshdeep, meanwhile, moves to MI after eight seasons with PBKS, where he made his IPL debut in 2019 and established himself as one of the competition’s leading left-arm fast bowlers.

With 111 wickets in 96 IPL matches, he is PBKS’ all-time leading wicket-taker. He claimed 21 wickets in the 2025 season and followed that with 14 wickets in this year’s IPL. The 27-year-old is also India’s leading wicket-taker in the T20 format with 151 scalps in 104 matches.

What Ambani said

In a statement, MI owner Akash Ambani said he has “great respect” for Hardik.

“Hardik has shared some very special moments with Mumbai Indians. We have seen him grow as a cricketer, make his mark on the world stage and then return to lead the team. His contribution, his energy and the competitive spirit he brings to the field have been valuable to Mumbai Indians,” he said.

“I have great respect for him, both as a cricketer and as a person, and wish him nothing but the very best for everything that lies ahead,” Ambani added.

On Arshdeep joining MI, Ambani said, “Arshdeep’s arrival adds an exciting dimension to our bowling attack. We are always looking to build a team with the right balance of experience, skill and hunger to compete and Arshdeep brings all of these qualities. We welcome him along with the MI Paltan as he takes the field in Blue and Gold.”