IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians Sign Shardul Thakur From LSG Through All-Cash Deal Ahead Of Auction

Shardul Thakur joins Mumbai Indians, IPL 2026 Auction: Shardul Thakur has joined Mumbai Indians from the Lucknow Super Giants for a promising price of Rs 2 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. The all-cash trade deal was officially announced by the IPL on Thursday.

This is the third time Shardul has become a part of a pre-season trade. In 2017, Rising Pune Supergiant bought him from Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), and before the 2023 season, Kolkata Knight Riders procured him from Delhi Capitals. Both those trades were also all-cash deals.

Thakur, who went unsold at the IPL 2025 mega auction and was to join Essex in the County Championship, was picked by LSG as a replacement for Mohsin Khan at his base price of INR 2 crore. Shardul's mid-season signing turned out to be an impressive one for the LSG as the star bowling all-rounder had a magnificent outing. He took six wickets in his first two matches in IPL 2025. Thakur, however, struggled after that, playing only ten matches and taking 13 wickets with an economy rate of 11.02. The move to MI is like a homecoming for Thakur. He was a support bowler for MI from 2010-12 and was also appointed Mumbai captain in domestic cricket for this season.

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Talking about th Lucknow Super Giants, they had a disappointing campaign in IPL 2025 under new captain Rishabh Pant as they finished seventh in the points table with just six wins in 14 matches.

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Having made it to the playoffs last season, MI haven't been at their best in the past few seasons and will be looking to capitalise in the IPL 2026 as they seem very active in the transfer window ahead of the auction with an aim to bolster their squad.  Shardul's move to MI marks his reunion with India teammate Hardik Pandya, who has been leading MI since 2024 after taking over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma. Apart from the IPL, Shardul is set to make another important return, this time to the domestic circuit. The senior player was recently named captain of Mumbai's Ranji Trophy team for the 2025-26 season, marking his first stint playing for the state side in the premier red-ball competition.

The 34-year-old will be looking to make it count in the IPL as well as in domestic cricket to impress the selectors for a return to the Indian team. He has represented India in 13 Tests (377 runs and 33 wickets, 47 ODI matches (329 runs and 65 wickets) and 25 T20I matches (69 runs and 33 wickets).

His last appearance for India came in the Old Trafford Test during the five-match Test series in England earlier this year.