Before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season begins, Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur has formally signed the Mumbai Indians (MI). By submitting an expression of interest to the Indian Premier League’s governing body, MI and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have both finished the formalities involved in Shardul Thakur transaction. He was purchased for INR 2 crore, which was his base price for the 2025 IPL.
MI and LSG came to an in-principle agreement for MI to buy Thakur outright in cash. In the history of the IPL, this is Thakur’s third trade. He was acquired by Rising Pune Supergiant from Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2017 and by Kolkata Knight Riders from Delhi Capitals prior to the 2023 season; both trades were all-cash.
At his initial price of INR 2 crore, Thakur was later acquired by LSG to replace Mohsin Khan after going unsold at the 2025 mega auction. Given that he had taken six wickets in his opening two IPL 2025 games, the move initially appeared good. But as the season went on, he lost form, taking 13 wickets in 10 games at an economy rate of 11.02.
Thakur is not wholly unfamiliar with the Mumbai setup. Despite not playing for the team in the lucrative competition, he was a backup bowler for the team from 2010 to 2012. He was just appointed captain of Mumbai’s domestic team in preparation for the 2025–2026 Ranji Trophy season.
Watching Shardul Thakur performance for the team that symbolises his hometown will be fascinating.
Former Indian cricketer R Ashwin had earlier unintentionally leaked information on a possible trade involving Thakur and Deepak Chahar, implying that MI had acquired Thakur in return for Chahar, who has suffered from a string of ailments. But as of yet, there has been no such development involving the Rajasthan pacer on the floors.
According to an earlier media source, the addition of Shardul Thakur to the MI lineup would also result in the removal of all-rounder Arjun Tendulkar, who bowls fast, from the team. None of the franchises have yet to confirm the development, though, so it appears to be in the early stages of discussion.
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