With the trade rumours in IPL 2027 picking up pace, headlined by Rishabh Pant’s move to the Delhi Capitals and Kuldeep Yadav’s arrival to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is also heavily in the mix. While Pandya had previously been linked with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Rajasthan Royals, a new team in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has reportedly entered the fray. According to a report, the Baroda-born cricketer has placed a huge condition if he is to move to KKR from the Mumbai Indians.
What is Hardik Pandya’s condition for joining the Kolkata Knight Riders?
According to the unverified claims, the Knight Riders has approached MI’s top management about wanting to trade the seam-bowling all-rounder. Nevertheless, Pandya has reportedly claimed that he would join the three-time champions only if Abhishek Nayar is removed as head coach. There is lack of clarity over why Pandya reportedly wants Nayar out as the Knight Riders’ coach.
Hardik Pandya doesn’t want to join KKR as long as Abhishek Nayar remains the head coach.
– Abhishek Tripathi pic.twitter.com/3HtUUxMSGR
— KKR Vibe (@KnightsVibe) June 24, 2026
The Knight Riders already have had a poor two seasons since winning their third title in 2024, failing to reach the playoffs in back-to-back editions. While Nayar’s position is likely to be under scrutiny, the Knight Riders could also replace Ajinkya Rahane as captain. There have also been reports that Rinku Singh could be appointed as the skipper of the Knight Riders.
IPL 2026: How did Hardik Pandya perform for the Mumbai Indians?
While the Mumbai Indians finished at 9th with only four wins in 14 matches, Pandya’s returns with both bat and ball left a lot to be desired too. In 10 games, the 32-year-old managed only 206 runs at 22.89 alongside a decent strike rate of 138.26. With the ball, he managed only four wickets at 64.75. Mumbai Indians’ four wins came against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Gujarat Titans and the Punjab Kings.
The inconsistent run of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma also hurt the five-time champions significantly. Hence, they may need to undergo a revamp the following season. In more trading news, Rishabh Pant has returned to the Delhi Capitals, while Kuldeep Yadav will ply his trade for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
