Vishnu Vinod was dropped from the proposed three-player trade between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) after Hardik Pandya's revised contract fee matched Arshdeep Singh's valuation at ₹18 crore. The change removed the need for a third player to balance the deal, leaving Vinod with Punjab.

Both franchises initially discussed a package that would have sent Hardik to Punjab in exchange for Arshdeep and Vinod moving to Mumbai. However, the negotiations resulted in a direct player swap, which the IPL officially announced on Wednesday, November 11, ahead of the 2027 mini-auction.

Why Vishnu Vinod Was Dropped From the Hardik Pandya-Arshdeep Singh Trade

The initial trade discussions between MI and PBKS involved a three-player package. Hardik Pandya was expected to move to Punjab, while Arshdeep Singh and wicketkeeper-batter Vinod were set to join Mumbai. However, a revision to Hardik's contract fee changed the deal.

According to an official IPL statement, Hardik's fee was increased from ₹16.35 crore to ₹18 crore. Punjab had bought back Arshdeep for the same amount at the previous auction. This removed the financial gap that Vinod was initially expected to balance.

According to Sportstar, both franchises agreed to drop Vishnu Vinod from the trade. Mumbai's management had decided to back Robin Minz instead of pursuing the Kerala batter. Vinod had joined Punjab for ₹95 lakh at the 2025 mega-auction and was retained at the same price for the 2026 season.

Vishnu Vinod Has Played for Five IPL Franchises Since 2017

Vishnu Vinod made his IPL debut with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2017, joining the franchise as an injury replacement for KL Rahul. He later moved to Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2021 and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2022, but did not feature in a match for either side.

Mumbai Indians signed him ahead of the 2023 season, and he played three matches that year. He scored 30 off 20 deliveries as an Impact Player against Gujarat Titans (GT). He did not feature in the 2024 season before Punjab picked him up for 2025.

Across seven IPL appearances, Vishnu Vinod has scored 71 runs at an average of 11.83 and a strike rate of 109.23, along with two stumpings. His most recent appearance came against Mumbai in Dharamsala during IPL 2026, when he scored an unbeaten 15 off eight balls.

Hardik Pandya's Move to PBKS Ends Second MI Stint

Hardik Pandya returned to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2024 but endured a difficult 2026 campaign. The all-rounder scored 206 runs in 10 innings at an average of 22.88 and a strike rate of 138.25, while taking four wickets at an average of 64.75.

Arshdeep, meanwhile, is set for his first IPL stint outside Punjab. He joined the franchise in 2019 and spent eight seasons with the team, becoming its leading wicket-taker. The left-arm pacer finished his Punjab career with 111 wickets in 96 matches.

The trade comes ahead of the IPL 2027 mini-auction, which will return to India after three editions held overseas. The deadline for all 10 franchises to submit their retained and released player lists has been moved from November 15 to November 17.

Several teams have already completed major deals, including the four-player exchange between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Sunrisers Hyderabad and the trade involving Rishabh Pant and Kuldeep Yadav between Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).