Former Indian opener and commentator Aakash Chopra has revealed that the trade deal involving Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh couldn’t solve Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) problem ahead of the IPL 2027 mini-auction.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra asserted that PBKS doesn’t have an issue in terms of their batting and all-rounders, but their bowling looks a bit weak with Arshdeep Singh’s exit from the franchise.
“If you look at it from Punjab’s view, Hardik will not be the captain. But he is an all-rounder. They have plenty of those. How they use him will define how much he will be able to contribute. He was not able to use himself well as captain. Punjab’s problem was never batting. They never had to address the all-rounder problem. Bowling was their problem. It looks weaker with Arshdeep’s departure. They will still have to find a way to plug that gap. Hardik is an asset, there is no doubt. But he is not solving Punjab’s problem,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Furthermore, Chopra felt that MI had secured the better deal through the trade, as it directly addressed one of their major concerns. He pointed out that bowling had been a key weakness for the franchise, but the addition of Arshdeep Singh alongside Jasprit Bumrah has significantly strengthened their attack.
“Mumbai’s issue was the bowling. Let’s be very honest. They were very pedestrian, and the bowling was very middling. That has definitely gotten a boost. Arshdeep and Bumrah together was a dream, and it has become a reality,” he added.
Having first joined MI in 2015, Pandya emerged as one of the league’s most impactful all-rounders, being part of the team’s title-winning campaigns in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. On the other hand, with 111 wickets in 96 IPL matches, Arshdeep Singh is PBKS’ all-time leading wicket-taker.
