Shardul Thakur is going back to the Mumbai Indians for IPL 2026. The all-rounder started his IPL career with MI years ago. Now he’s returning there after playing for several other teams. LSG bought him for Rs 2 crore last season as a replacement player.
The Mumbai Indians have officially announced this news on social media. Both teams filed their paperwork with the IPL office already. The league said yes to this trade on November 13. MI gets an experienced all-rounder while Lucknow gets a young bowler.
Shardul Thakur Joins MI Again After 12 Years
Shardul Thakur wore the MI jersey from 2010 to 2012 earlier. He left that team way back and has played elsewhere since then. MI is paying Rs 2 crore to get him back now. The Mumbai-based all-rounder knows this franchise well from his younger days.
This guy has been traded around quite a bit honestly. Kings XI Punjab sent him to Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017. Delhi Capitals traded him to the Kolkata Knight Riders before 2023 started. So IPL 2026 marks his third trade between different franchises.
He Started Hot But Cooled Down at Super Giants
LSG needed someone when Mohsin Khan got injured last year. They grabbed Shardul Thakur as his replacement midway through the season. His first two games were amazing, with six wickets total. Everyone thought Super Giants had found a match-winner there.
Then things went downhill for him pretty quickly after that. He played 10 matches for LSG but couldn’t repeat those early performances. His captaincy experience in domestic cricket still matters though, for any team.
Arjun Tendulkar Gets His Chance with LSG
MI is likely sending Arjun Tendulkar to the Lucknow Super Giants in this swap deal. The young pacer has been with the Mumbai since IPL 2023, but barely played. He got just five games and took three wickets in two seasons. LSG might give him more chances to prove himself for IPL 2026. Both players need fresh starts at their new teams now.
