Former Indian chairman of selectors and commentator Kris Srikkanth has advised the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to release Shivam Dube for Hardik Pandya from the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the IPL 2027 mini-auction.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth asserted that the MI franchise struggled to deliver strong results under Hardik Pandya as a captain, adding that he would be a great inclusion in the CSK squad.
“It’ll be good for both Hardik and MI. Under him, they struggled with team formation and performance. Hardik Pandya will be a great inclusion for CSK because the all-rounder slot will be sealed. Shivam Dube, I would even give for free if I were CSK. I don’t even need a trade to give Dube up. If I were CSK, I would definitely put him back in the auction and get him again if needed,” Srikkanth said.
“And for Hardik Pandya, I don’t mind CSK giving up Dube and Ayush Mhatre. CSK already has a great batting lineup, so giving up these two for Hardik will make it a gun top five,” he added.
Further, the former Indian batter requested MI to appoint former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach Chandrakant Pandit as their next head coach. It’s important to note that Mahela Jayawardene stepped down as MI head coach after propelling the side to three titles.
“If I were MI, I would bring in Chandrakant Pandit as the coach. He’s a local boy and has played a lot for Mumbai. So he’ll be a great value addition for MI, and such a team needs a coach like Chandrakant Pandit. He’s a good thinker of the game, and he’ll not throw his weight around. He will do his job quietly and go,” he concluded.
