Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan has officially rubbished the viral rumors linking Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya with a blockbuster trade to the franchise for the IPL 2027 season.
Dismissing the speculation entirely, Viswanathan clarified that the franchise management has not engaged in any trade discussions regarding the star all-rounder.
Following a disastrous IPL 2026 campaign where MI finished ninth, Pandya has reportedly decided to part ways with the five-time champions due to immense mental exhaustion and a fractured dressing room.
Earlier in the day, TOI reported that seven franchises have expressed interest in acquiring Pandya. Only Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have chosen to remain spectators in this pursuit.
The report also claimed that CSK, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and Rajasthan Royals (RR) are leading the trade war to sign him.
However, Viswanathan firmly denied the reports, citing that the franchise management has not even started its post-season review.
The CSK management is currently focused on Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States, where they operate the Texas Super Kings franchise. Any formal squad reviews will only happen after the tournament concludes.
"We have not had any discussion. This will be done only after the season review, which will happen only after the MLC," Viswanathan said in an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times Digital.
Mumbai Indians too explicitly stated they are not currently engaged in any conversations regarding player trades.
"We have just begun our post-season review and will look into all aspects of the team," an MI spokesperson told RevSportz.
"As with any review of this nature, a range of options and ideas will be evaluated before any decisions are made with regard to players. Currently, we are not engaged in conversations with regard to player trades. The same is only possible once the review is complete."
Hardik Pandya who led Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in 2022, returned to the MI fold as skipper ahead of the 2024 season. However, he was booed at MI's home ground, the Wankhede Stadium, primarily because he replaced the legendary and beloved captain, Rohit Sharma.
The booing intensified as MI struggled on the field, finishing at the very bottom of the points table in 2024. Though the team reached the playoffs in 2025, further struggles in 2026 put Hardik under severe scrutiny.
On a personal front, Pandya endured a below-par IPL 2026 season. In 10 matches, he scored 206 runs at an average of 22.89 and a strike rate of 138.25. It was one of the lowest-scoring seasons of his career, with a top score of just 40. His impact with the ball was severely limited as he managed to pick up just 4 wickets during the tournament.
