New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS) Ahead of the retention deadline for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 edition on November 15, the tournament has seen its first high-profile trade — India seam-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur being traded to the Mumbai Indians (MI) from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

“Lucknow Super Giants all-rounder, Shardul Thakur, is all set to represent the Mumbai Indians, following a trade between the two franchises. The Mumbai-based all-rounder was picked up by the Lucknow Super Giants for INR 2 crore as an injury replacement for the 18th edition of the league, wherein he featured in 10 games.”

“Shardul has been a utility player for the franchises he has represented, putting in clutch performances time and again. The all-rounder has been traded to the Mumbai Indians for his existing player fee of INR 2 crore,” said the IPL in a statement on Thursday.

In the IPL, Thakur has played 105 games, taking 107 wickets, with a highest score of 68 as a batter. The development marks a sort of homecoming for Thakur, who captains Mumbai in the domestic cricket circuit and also honed his cricketing skills in the city after coming from Palghar.

“Shardul has been a proven match-winner in the IPL as well as for India in international cricket, and his addition gives the Mumbai Indians more experience and bolsters an already strong pace attack,” said the MI in an official statement.

Thakur went unsold at the 2025 IPL mega auction and was set to join Essex for the County Championship. But he was brought into LSG under the mentorship of Zaheer Khan.

The decision initially paid off, with Thakur claiming six wickets in his first two matches. However, his form tapered off as the season went on, and he finished with 13 wickets in 10 games at an economy rate of 11.02.

This move to MI also marks Thakur’s third instance of being involved in an IPL trade. He was first acquired by Rising Pune Supergiant from Punjab Kings in 2017, and later traded to Kolkata Knight Riders from Delhi Capitals ahead of the 2023 season.

–IANS

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