Mumbai Indians Winner Of Trade Deal? Former Cricketer Decodes Blockbuster IPL Move Of Hardik Pandya And Arshdeep Singh

The Hardik Pandya-Arshdeep Singh trade took effect on Wednesday. Mumbai Indians fans will watch for Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh in the same attack, while Punjab Kings will draw attention for how Hardik Pandya fits under Shreyas Iyer. Over the past five IPL seasons, Pandya has led both Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians.

Former Punjab Kings cricketer Irfan Pathan said Mumbai Indians won the trade and predicted the dynamics that might unfold when the 2027 IPL season begins. He also pointed to the trade-off for Punjab: more finishing power in batting but a weaker bowling attack.

Mumbai's Bowling Upgrade

Pathan backed Mumbai clearly.

“I think they (MI) are the clear winner in this trade because it will sort out their bowling,” Pathan said on Cricinfo.

He linked that view to the pressure Bumrah carried last season and the support Arshdeep could now provide. “I really think there was a lot of responsibility on Jasprit Bumrah. Look, Jasprit Bumrah is capable of taking any kind of responsibility. But last year, what we have seen, he didn’t perform as much as we all would have liked. I always see Jasprit Bumrah taking responsibility, but sometimes it doesn’t happen. He’s also human. So you need someone who can support him from the other end.”

Pathan also said Arshdeep’s presence could free Mumbai to use Bumrah more flexibly across phases. “And what will happen if Arshdeep Singh plays regularly for Mumbai Indians? He will get the swing, so that means you will be able to see Jasprit Bumrah in different phases with freehand, because this is what you know the captain of Mumbai Indians, Rohit Sharma, has done for many years in the past.”

Punjab Under Shreyas

Punjab still gain a proven match-finisher.

“Punjab has done really well under Shreyas Iyer as a leader. So it will be very interesting how Hardik Pandya plays under Shreyas Iyer. If that happens nicely and smoothly, then things are very good for Punjab…” Pathan said.

He sees a direct batting lift from Pandya’s arrival. “With Hardik Pandya coming in, one thing is for sure: they will get good finishing touches as far as the batting is concerned.”

But Pathan also warned that Punjab lose more than just a frontline quick. “But what it does is, with Arshdeep Singh going away, it makes their bowling weaker. Look, I really think Yuzi is not at his peak… He is one of the legendary bowlers in the IPL, but his performance, his economy, his numbers are going down. So if one more bowler goes away from you and then, you know, you see who the other Indian bowler is who will do the job that Arshdeep Singh used to do? They’ll be missing him big time,” he said.