Now that the 2026 Indian Premier League transfer window is picking up speed, there are two Indian cricketing icons behind the scenes. Although the high profile talks that have been going on between Rajasthan Royalties and Chennai super kings have taken the limelight, several officials have attested that Mumbai Indians (MI) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are negotiating possible player transfers of Shardul Thakur and Arjun Tendulkar.
This is not what is being referred to as a direct exchange. Rather, the two players would be able to make moves in two, all-cash deals that would indicate the process of franchises balancing their rosters prior to the next megaleague sale.
A Trade, but not a Strategic Realignment.
Franchise insiders refer to this as broader pre-auction reset. Lucknow, who had spent a lot of money in power-hitters and foreign seamers, have started thinking about their Indian bowling. Instead, Mumbai have been seeking an experienced Indian pacer who would be able to back up Jasprit Bumrah and rot, through a busy T20 program.
Such congruency of needs has created possibilities of the homecoming of Shardul Thakur.
Thakur was introduced to IPL life in 2015 by Punjab, and then discovered his tempo in Chennai and turned out a regular wicket-keeper. He made an unobtrusive contribution of 13 wickets in 10 matches, with a large portion of his work notably within the powerplay, after he became Lucknowslate replacement in 2025 [?]2 crore.
It would be a logical course of action in several ways to rejoin his home franchise since his domestic engagements are now based in Mumbai and the game of cricket.
Path Forward by Arjun Tendulkar.
To Arjun Tendulkar, the potential relocation is a career re-settlement and not a retirement. The 26-year old left arm all rounder was a part of the Mumbai Indians system since 2022 though within 3 seasons he has only had five IPL appearances.
Though there have been glimpses of talent – swing with the new ball, discipline in the death overs – there has been intense competition in seeking positions in the fast-bowling unit of the Mumbai team.
The move to Lucknow Super Giants would allow Arjun to gain more frequent game time, which may be a development project on a leadership structure that has supported up-and-coming Indian quicks such as Mohsin Khan and Yash Thakur.
Timeline and BCCI Process
Within the trading system of IPL, the movement of players must be officially cleared by the BCCI and then released into the public. The following official announcement window will be in line with the retention and release list, which is anticipated to be by November 15.
People who are conversant with the process say that the talks between Mumbai and Lucknow are at an advanced stage yet they are not complete. Both sales would probably be considered as independent player sales but not an intra-team sale.
