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New Delhi: Hardik Pandya‘s troublesome second stint with the Mumbai Indians might be coming to an unexpected end. The five-time IPL champions have reportedly received at least two inquiries regarding a potential trade for the star Indian all-rounder. Both the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) have thrown their hats into the ring, sparking massive transfer buzz ahead of the next season.

According to a PTI report, KKR’s top management has held multiple rounds of talks with Mumbai Indians’ owners to explore a possible swap deal. Pandya‘s return to Mumbai has been far from smooth with the team making it to the play-offs only once under his leadership.

An IPL source privy to the development explained the backstory of KKR’s interest, stating, “Ajinkya Rahane was always a stop-gap arrangement for KKR and he was always going to be released after this season.

The KKR top brass had approached MI owners towards the end of last season but since Reliance’s Annual AGM was around the corner at that time the IPL trade wasn’t the biggest priority. However, it has been learned that KKR has again approached MI top leadership and there have been a few rounds of discussion.”

If Pandya decides to move to KKR, whether through an all-cash deal or a player trade-off, the captaincy is practically there for the taking. Currently, a popular star like Rinku Singh isn’t seen as a viable leadership candidate for the franchise. However, sources have not yet confirmed whether MI prefer an outright cash package or a direct player swap for the all-rounder.

Crucially, IPL rules state that franchises must negotiate directly with each other and no trade can happen without the player’s explicit consent. If a player refuses a trade, then they head back into the auction pool.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals have also entered the conversation with an intriguing proposition. The rumours suggest that they are weighing up a major trade-off that could involve sending their explosive opening batter, Yashasvi Jaiswal to Mumbai Indians in exchange for Pandya.

Despite the bold offer, a move to Rajasthan might not give Pandya the leadership role he desires as they are reportedly grooming Assam’s Riyan Parag as their long-term captain, making KKR look like a much more practical destination for Pandya at the moment.