Hardik's Arrival An 'important Step' Towards IPL Title: PBKS CEO Menon

PBKS CEO Menon:  Punjab Kings (PBKS) CEO Satish Menon on Wednesday described the signing of premier seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya as an ‘important step’ in the franchise’s bid to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) title.

On Wednesday, the BCCI formally announced that Pandya joined the franchise from Mumbai Indians (MI) in a trade deal that sent left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh to the five-time champions ahead of the 2027 IPL season. The trade had been in the making for nearly a week.

PBKS is yet to win an IPL title – with their best-ever result being securing a runners-up finish in 2014 and 2025 seasons. “We are delighted to welcome Hardik to the Punjab Kings family. He is a proven match-winner who brings tremendous experience, confidence and a winning mentality. His ability to change the course of a game with both bat and ball makes him a valuable addition to our squad.

“As we enter the 20th season of the IPL, our focus remains on building a team capable of competing at the highest level and bringing the trophy home to Punjab. Hardik’s arrival is an important step in that direction,” Menon said in a statement on Wednesday.

The numbers support the faith of PBKS in him. Since making his IPL debut in 2015, Pandya has played 162 matches, scoring 2,955 runs and picked up 82 wickets. Pandya first arrived at MI as a raw youngster in 2015 and developed into one of the leading all-rounders in the cricketing world in the shortest format.

Pandya played a major role in four of MI’s title-winning campaigns in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, before leaving for Gujarat Titans (GT), whom he led to IPL 2022 win. In 2024, Pandya moved back to MI from GT via a trade deal and took over as their captain, which didn’t give the desired results in terms of winning championships.

Pandya’s move to PBKS comes with a pay rise, as his fee goes up to INR 18 crore from the INR 16.35 crore he earned at MI. Arshdeep moves across on his current fee of INR 18 crore. Bringing in Hardik came at a price, though, as PBKS had to give up on Arshdeep, who made his IPL debut for the franchise in 2019.

Since then, he claimed 111 wickets in 96 matches for the franchise. In that time he became one of the team’s main weapons with the ball and is now the leading wicket-taker for India in men’s T20Is.

“Arshdeep has been an integral part of Punjab Kings for many years, and this is also an emotional moment for us. We have seen him grow into one of the finest fast bowlers in the country, and we are incredibly proud of his journey.

Since then, he claimed 111 wickets in 96 matches for the franchise. In that time he became one of the team’s main weapons with the ball and is now the leading wicket-taker for India in men’s T20Is.

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Article Source: IANS