Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan hails MI’s decision to trade Arshdeep Singh from Punjab Kings, says it will help them use Jasprit Bumrah better.
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Irfan Pathan hails Arshdeep Singh’s trade to MI (Photo: BCCI)
The biggest trade ahead of IPL 2027 is finally officialMumbai Indians have traded star all-rounder Hardik Pandya to Punjab Kings, and in return, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh will now wear the blue and gold jersey of Mumbai Indians.
The deal was confirmed on Tuesday after days of rumoursHardik will join Punjab at a fee of Rs 18 crore, which is slightly higher than his current fee of Rs 16.35 croreArshdeep will join Mumbai at his existing fee of Rs 18 crore.
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Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan was quick to react to the trade and said this move makes Mumbai Indians a much stronger team.
Irfan Pathan Backs MI’s Masterstroke
Irfan Pathan believes that getting Arshdeep Singh is a brilliant move for the five-time championsHe said that with Arshdeep in the side, Jasprit Bumrah can be used in a better way and it will also help Mumbai manage their overseas players well.
Posting on X, Pathan wrote, “The trade of Arshdeep Singh makes Mumbai Indians a much stronger sideIt allows them to use Jasprit Bumrah even more effectively and also has a positive impact on their overseas slots.”
The trade of Arshdeep Singh makes Mumbai Indians a much stronger sideIt allows them to use Jasprit Bumrah even more effectively and also has a positive impact on their overseas slots.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) November 11, 2026
Why This Trade Is A Win For Mumbai Indians
Irfan’s point is absolutely correctNow Mumbai Indians have four top-quality fast bowlers who can bowl in the powerplay – Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult and Arshdeep SinghThey also have young left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar, who has taken 17 wickets in 10 matches for MI, including two four-wicket hauls.
Bumrah and Arshdeep are also two of the best death bowlers in the IPLThis gives Mumbai a lot of options in the two most important phases – the start and the end of the innings.
With Arshdeep in the squad, MI can even play with an all-Indian pace attack of Bumrah, Arshdeep, Deepak Chahar and Ashwani KumarIf they do that, they can drop Trent Boult and pick an extra overseas all-rounder like Mitchell Santner, Will Jacks, Sherfane Rutherford or Corbin BoschThey already have Indian all-rounders like Naman Dhir, Shardul Thakur and Raj Angad Bawa.
This trade ends Hardik Pandya’s second chapter with Mumbai IndiansHe first joined MI in 2015 and won four titles with them in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020He then led Gujarat Titans to a title in their debut season in 2022 and took them to the final in 2023.
He returned to MI as captain in 2024, but his second stint was not goodIn 39 matches, he scored only 647 runs at an average of 21.53 and took 29 wicketsIn his captaincy, MI ended up 9th in 2024, made playoffs in 2025, and finished last again in 2026In total, Hardik has played 162 IPL matches, scoring 2,955 runs and taking 82 wickets.
Arshdeep Singh parts ways with Punjab Kings after 8 long seasonsHe made his debut in 2019 and has become the leading wicket-taker for PBKS with 111 wickets in 96 matchesHe is known for his new-ball strike rate and his composed death bowlingHe took 21 wickets in IPL 2025 and 14 wickets in 2026 season.
