Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has made a big statement ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, which is likely to take place next month.
Ashwin confirmed that five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have received Shardul Thakur in a trade from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
The Mumbai Indians recovered from a poor start in the 2025 season to reach the play-offs. They were eliminated in Qualifier 2 after a great performance from Shreyas Iyer. The five-time champions have not reached an IPL final in the last five seasons. They last won the tournament in the 2020 season.
All ten IPL franchises will submit their list of retained and released players before the November 15 deadline, ahead of the mini-auction scheduled for next month.
MI have secured Shardul Thakur through a deal from LSG – Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin revealed on his YouTube channel that Mumbai Indians have already finalized a trade deal to acquire Shardul Thakur from Lucknow Super Giants.
Ashwin stated that MI is unlikely to release major players before the auction. He added that their main concern would be to find a suitable backup for the injury-prone Deepak Chahar and possibly add an extra spinner to strengthen the squad.
“We don’t see any releases happening. They won’t even release. Their biggest factor will be Deepak Chahar, who is a bit injury-prone. Will they look for a replacement for Deepak Chahar?”
(They won’t even release anyone. Their biggest factor will be whether they will look for a replacement for Deepak Chahar, who is a bit injury prone?),” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“They have secured Shardul Thakur through a trade from LSG. Woh toh ho chuka hai. They will probably look for a spinner, woh bhi mil jayenge. (That’s already happened. They will probably look for a spinner; they will get one too),” he added.
Ashwin accidentally revealed that Shardul Thakur has been traded to MI…
Ashwin always at the crime scene when you talk about team leaks 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/feQA0bHG92
— Sumitttttt (@Sumittt_0707) November 12, 2025
Mumbai Indians become the seventh IPL team in Shardul Thakur’s career
Shardul Thakur will represent his home state franchise, Mumbai Indians, in the upcoming IPL season. After remaining unsold in the previous auction, Thakur was signed by the Lucknow Super Giants. He took 13 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 28.85 and an economy rate of 11.03.
Mumbai Indians becomes the seventh IPL team in Thakur’s career, after previous stints with Punjab Kings (PBKS), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Delhi Capitals (DC), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
The all-rounder recently replaced Ajinkya Rahane as captain of the Mumbai home side and has been in a good rhythm since the end of IPL 2025.
Shardul Thakur has picked up more wickets in Wankhede than any other venue
Mumbai Indians could benefit from Shardul Thakur. The right-arm pacer has a good track record at the Wankhede Stadium, where he has claimed more wickets than at any other IPL venue.
The experienced all-rounder has taken 16 wickets in 17 matches on the ground at an average of 35.69 with an economy rate of 9.71. He also scored 81 runs in 9 innings with a strike rate of 137.29.
Wankhede is one of only three venues, along with Dubai International Stadium and MCA Stadium in Pune, where Thakur has taken more than 10 IPL wickets. His familiarity with the venue could improve his performance in the coming season.
Also read: BCCI issues clarification on Shubman Gill’s ouster from 2026 T20 World Cup
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