3 reasons why Arshdeep Singh’s trade to Mumbai Indians for IPL 2027 would be the wrong move

The Mumbai Indians and the Punjab Kings are working on a trade that would send Hardik Pandya to PBKS and Arshdeep Singh to MI. Sportstar reported on November 3 that the senior management at both franchises have “all but agreed” on the exchange, which would also take wicketkeeper-batter Vishnu Vinod to MI, with documentation due to go through IPL officials and an announcement possible before the retention deadline on November 17.

According to the report, MI sounded out at least three franchises, and only the Kolkata Knight Riders reached a comparable stage. Hardik, who led the Gujarat Titans to the IPL 2022 title, returned to MI in an all-cash trade before IPL 2024. But his three seasons as captain included two finishes near the bottom, and the latest edition brought four wins from 14 and ninth place.

Arshdeep Singh’s price is part of the story. PBKS released him before the IPL 2025 mega auction, then used the ‘Right to Match’ card at ₹18 crore after the Sunrisers Hyderabad pushed the bid from Rs 15.75 crore.

Here are 3 reasons why Arshdeep Singh’s trade to the Mumbai Indians would be the wrong move.

#1 MI would be buying the reputation, not the season

Arshdeep Singh’s IPL 2026 returns were the weakest of his IPL career: 14 wickets in 14 matches at an economy of 10.20, one of only two bowlers to concede more than 500 runs in the season.

As per Cricinfo, the 27-year-old’s full and good-length balls produced seven wickets at 9.91 and an average of 35.14, down from ten wickets at 8.45 and 24.5 in IPL 2025. Notably, no bowler with 120 balls or more sent down a higher share of wides than his 19. Arshdeep Singh was India’s second fast bowler behind Jasprit Bumrah at the 2026 T20 World Cup with nine wickets at 8.46, but MI would absorb an ₹18 crore contract on the back of a season that argued against it.

#2 The phases overlap, they do not cover MI’s gaps

The Mumbai Indians finished ninth with four wins from 14 and won two of seven home games. Jasprit Bumrah took four wickets in 13 matches at an economy of 8.36, and opposing line-ups settled on seeing him off and attacking whoever followed. Arshdeep Singh’s best work came with the new ball: seven wickets at 8.8, while his middle-over returns were just three wickets at 10.25 from 72 balls. And these are the ones MI need to improve the most.

Arshdeep Singh’s death overs cost about 11 an over across 78 balls. The Wankhede Stadium’s short square boundaries make that a weekly problem rather than an occasional one, and losing Hardik in the same trade strips the middle-order power and sixth-bowling option from a playing 11 that already needed rebuilding.

#3 PBKS’ attack is the last thing they should break up

The Punjab Kings led the table for nearly a month on the back of seven unbeaten games, then lost six in a row and missed the playoffs by a point. An attack built around Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen and Azmatullah Omarzai is the part of that squad a rebuild should protect, not the currency used to buy a 33-year-old all-rounder.

The replacement plan shows why. Sportstar reports Punjab could turn to the Lucknow Super Giants for Mohsin Khan, a left-arm quick the think-tank rates “fitness permitting”, which is a hedge rather than a plan. Hardik Pandya has not played since IPL 2026 after a recurrence of a right shin and calf stress injury, missed India A games against Australia A in September and is training at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. PBKS would be trading a bowler who featured in 14 matches for one whose availability is a projection.

If the paperwork is filed before November 17, the reckoning arrives at the December 16 auction, where PBKS would need a fast bowler and MI would need a finisher.

Edited by Srinjoy