Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has confirmed that Shardul Thakur has joined the Mumbai Indians (MI) from the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a massive trade deal ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Auction. The all-rounder will be playing at his state home venue for the upcoming season as franchises finalize their list of retained and released players before the set deadline on Saturday, November 15.
Shardul Thakur, who went unsold at the last auction, was roped in by LSG at the eleventh hour to combat their injury crisis. During the season, he played 10 matches and picked up 13 wickets at an average of 28.85 with an economy rate of 11.03.
Mumbai Indians will be the seventh franchise that Thakur represents in the IPL, following his stints with Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rising Pune Super Giants, and the Lucknow Super Giants.
Ravichandran Ashwin brought up Thakur’s arrival at MI while discussing potential player releases ahead of the auction. “I don’t see MI releasing any player. Their only question would be around Deepak Chahar, who is a bit injury-prone. They have secured Shardul Thakur on a trade with LSG, that is done,” Ashwin explained on his YouTube channel.
Recently, Shardul Thakur took over as Mumbai captain from Ajinkya Rahane ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season. The all-rounder is in decent form, having focused largely on red-ball cricket since the conclusion of the 2025 IPL campaign.
One key advantage Thakur brings to MI is his familiarity with the Wankhede Stadium, his state home ground. This venue is one of three where he has picked up more than 10 wickets in IPL matches — the other two being Dubai International Stadium and MCA Stadium in Pune. At Wankhede, he has taken 16 wickets in 17 appearances, with an average of 35.69 and an economy rate of 9.71.
With the bat, Thakur also adds value, boasting a strike rate of 137.29, making him a valuable asset to the Mumbai Indians squad heading into the next IPL season.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-r-ashwin-confirms-trade-team-india-all-rounder-lsg-mi-ahead-ipl-2026-auction