3 Roles Hardik Pandya Could Play For Punjab Kings in IPL 2027

In what was a blockbuster deal, Mumbai Indians traded their captain Hardik Pandya to Punjab Kings in a direct swap with Arshdeep Singh. The Indian all-rounder will be seen playing under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer in IPL 2027.

Hardik Pandya will be joining Punjab Kings for INR 18 crore, Rs 1.65 crore more than his previous salary with Mumbai Indians. In the last few days, there were lot of reports related to Hardik’s move from MI and various franchises including Chennai Super Kings were involved in it.

However, it was Punjab Kings, who finally managed to crack the deal. The addition of Hardik makes them an extremely strong team as they now have three of the best all-rounders in the world - Hardik Pandya, Marco Jansen and Azmatullah Omarzai.

What Will Be Hardik Pandya Role for Punjab Kings in IPL 2027?

Hardik Pandya's role for Punjab Kings is likely to be entirely different from what it was at Mumbai Indians. Being one of the best all-rounders in IPL, he has the ability to perform three different roles. Let's take a look at Hardik Pandya IPL role for his new team:

1. New Ball Bowler

Hardik Pandya has been extremely effective with the new ball for India in T20Is. His ability to swing the new ball and challenge the batters makes him a vital new-ball option. With Arshdeep Singh not being there, Pandya could take the new ball along with Marco Jansen. This will provide the franchise with an option of two new-ball bowlers - one right-handed and one left-handed.

2. Bat in Middle Order & As a Finisher

PBKS’ middle-order was something that looked a bit weak last season. With Nehal Wadhera not being in the best of form, PBKS was unable to bat well in the middle order and finish the innings on a high. However, with the addition of Pandya, this department will surely be filled.

At times of collapse, Hardik Pandya, who possesses incredible ability to bat under pressure, can walk up the order and bail the team out of trouble. Moreover, he can also help the team finish the innings on a high as his primary role is that of the finisher.

3. Captaincy

When the reports of Hardik Pandya joining PBKS hogged the headlines. One of the things that was speculated among the fans was whether he would be the captain of the team. Pandya has captained Gujarat Titans as well as Mumbai Indians in the league, and his experience as a leader makes him part of the leadership group.

The star all-rounder is one of the most successful captains in IPL if we take a look at his record with GT. He can act as a captain also in absence of Shreyas Iyer. We have seen Iyer face multiple injury issues in his career, and in that case, we can see Hardik Pandya new IPL role in affect.