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Punjab Kings trade Arshdeep Singh for Hardik Pandya ahead of the 2027 season, strengthening their batting and finishing prowess while creating new bowling needs.
Hardik Pandya and Shreyas Iyer (AFP)
IPL teams have some time to finalise retentions and releases ahead of the 2027 season, and even more time to prepare for the mini-auction in December. Everything can change in a few weeks.
But, just like we did for Mumbai Indians, it is a nice exercise to see what Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) best playing 11 would look like right now, after they have traded out one of the faces of the franchise, Arshdeep Singh, in exchange for one of the best all-rounders in the world, Hardik Pandya, and where the possible holes are that they might look to fill.
Pandya’s arrival strengthens PBKS’ batting group, giving them more finishing prowess, and reducing the pressure on Shreyas Iyer to perform and take the game deep in every crunch contest. A more underrated aspect of this trade is that Pandya readily sustains a gap that Arshdeep leaves — new-ball bowling.
This is why Pandya is such a unique player in India. He’s almost two high-level cricketers in one.
Comparing to PBKS’ playing 11 last year, Pandya could cleanly slot in for Marcus Stoinis, thus saving Ricky Ponting an extra overseas spot to work with. The rest of the batting would take a similar look, with two explosive openers and quality depth till number nine in Marco Jansen.
The vacant overseas slot can for now be filled by Lockie Ferguson, who picked up an injury last year, or Xavier Bartlett, but it is a clear area of potential improvement in the post-Arshdeep era. The left-arm quick was an all-phase bowler who’d be tasked to bowl the most difficult overs.
None of Bartlett, Ferguson, or Vijaykumar Vyshak have shown enough to be entrusted with that job. So, PBKS can do with a quality pacer, preferably a left-armer, and it makes sense that they are in talks with Lucknow Super Giants to get Mohsin Khan for Stoinis.
Punjab Kings’ strongest playing 11 with Hardik Pandya
PBKS’ best 11 (batting first): Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly*, Shreyas Iyer (C), Hardik Pandya, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai*, Marco Jansen*, Harpreet Brar and Xavier Bartlett*
Impact player: Yuzvendra Chahal
Quick Answers
Ask News18Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings completed a player trade ahead of IPL 2027, sending Hardik Pandya to Punjab Kings and Arshdeep Singh to Mumbai Indians for a deal worth 18 crore rupees.
Ask News18November 11, 2026, 11:54 IST
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