Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has given his view on where Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya could move in an IPL trade. On 18 October 2026, he named Rajasthan Royals as a more realistic destination than Chennai Super Kings, as reported by The Times of India and India Today.
According to The Times of India, Ashwin said a move to Chennai would suit CSK, but he doubts it will happen anytime soon. The newspaper reported that he sees Rajasthan Royals as the more realistic contender to sign Hardik. India Today's report presented Ashwin as backing Rajasthan over CSK for the player.
A PTI report carried by Deccan Herald, which could not be dated, had earlier said Mumbai Indians received two feelers for a Hardik trade. One came from Kolkata Knight Riders and the other from Rajasthan Royals. The report cited an unnamed IPL insider as its source for the approaches to the franchise.
The discussion comes as Mumbai Indians deal with a change in their dugout. The franchise confirmed on Saturday (17 October) that it has parted ways with head coach Mahela Jayawardene, according to Deccan Herald. ESPNcricinfo reported that Jayawardene had spent two seasons as head coach in his second stint with the franchise.
Jayawardene took over from Mark Boucher before IPL 2025, ESPNcricinfo reported. The website said the question of changing the coaching staff came up in an August review of the 2026 season. It added that the player leadership group and the franchise agreed they needed a change, which led to the separation.
ThePrint Hindi (Bhasha) reported that Mumbai Indians finished fourth in IPL 2025 and ninth in 2026. Deccan Herald noted that Jayawardene's first stint as the franchise's coach, from 2017 to 2022, brought three IPL titles. He therefore leaves after two separate spells with the team.
Mumbai Indians must now appoint a new head coach before the IPL retention deadline of 15 November, according to ThePrint Hindi (Bhasha). ESPNcricinfo says Jayawardene's exit comes ahead of the 2027 auction, so the franchise has limited time to settle its coaching arrangements before the next cycle begins.
