IPL 2026: R Ashwin Drops ‘Mumbai Indians’ Bombshell

Veteran spinner R Ashwin unintentionally revealed that all-rounder Shardul Thakur has been traded to Mumbai Indians (MI) from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ahead of the IPL 2026 trade deadline, settling weeks of rampant speculation.

November 13, 2025: The often secretive world of the Indian Premier League (IPL) trade window has been inadvertently cracked open by none other than Indian spinner R Ashwin, who appears to have confirmed a major trade deal involving all-rounder Shardul Thakur.

During a conversation on his popular YouTube channel, Ash ki Baat, Ashwin discussed Mumbai Indians’ (MI) strategy for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. In a portion of the video that was subsequently deleted, Ashwin revealed the completion of the trade.

R Ashwin (on his YouTube channel, now-deleted segment): “I don’t see any releases happening from Mumbai, they won’t release anyone. Their biggest concern would be finding a replacement for Deepak Chahar, who’s a bit injury prone. They’ve secured Shardul Thakur through a trade from LSG. That has happened, they will probably look for a spinner and will get one too.”

End to Weeks of Speculation

Ashwin’s revelation brings an end to weeks of intense speculation regarding trade talks between MI and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Earlier reports suggested that the two franchises were discussing a two-player deal involving Shardul Thakur and MI’s fast-bowling all-rounder Arjun Tendulkar, although Cricbuzz later reported the deals would be separate transfers.

The acquisition of Shardul Thakur addresses MI’s strategic need for an experienced Indian pace-bowling all-rounder to provide depth and potential cover for injury-prone players, as noted by Ashwin.

Shardul’s LSG Journey

Shardul Thakur went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction but was later signed by LSG as an injury replacement for Mohsin Khan. The veteran all-rounder had a mixed season for the Giants, starting strongly with six wickets in his first two matches but fading to finish with 13 wickets in 10 matches.

Prior to the trade, Shardul had openly discussed the “ups and downs” of his career, including his failure to attract a buyer during the mega auction, stating, “LSG was the one who approached me first due to the injuries to their bowlers, so it was always on the cards.”

The official announcement from the BCCI regarding the completion of the trade is now keenly awaited ahead of the IPL 2026 trade window deadline.