November 13, 2025 : With just days to go before all 10 franchises officially announce their retention lists for the IPL 2026 auction, speculation over who stays and who goes has gripped world cricket, and even its experts. Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, who was part of the Chennai Super Kings setup until last season before retiring from the IPL earlier this summer, engaged in a freewheeling chat on his YouTube channel about possible retentions, but in the process, inadvertently revealed the Mumbai Indians’ recent trade plan, which had only surfaced in media reports a few hours earlier.
Ashwin’s comment came during his discussion on the ongoing drama over the Ravindra Jadeja–Sam Curran trade for Sanju Samson between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
Speculating Mumbai Indians’ retention plan before the mini-auction in December, the India bowling legend reckoned they are unlikely to release any player from their existing line-up. However, he added that Mumbai will look to secure a back-up for injury-prone Deepak Chahar, which is when he accidentally revealed the franchise has already acquired Shardul Thakur from Lucknow Super Giants.
“I don’t see any releases happening from MI. Will they try to secure a replacement for Deepak Chahar, who’s a bit injury-prone? They have secured Shardul Thakur on a trade from LSG. That is already done.” he said.
The clip, which was part of a lengthy video on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’, where he touched upon all 10 franchises, instantly went viral on social media.
Is Shardul Thakur to MI a done deal?
Earlier on Wednesday evening, a Cricbuzz report revealed that the Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants are set to be part of an eye-catching trade deal, wherein the former champions will let go of Arjun Tendulkar in exchange for gaining Shardul. However, it was specified that the two trade deals are independent of each other and are “straightforward all-cash transfers.”
According to the trading rules in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is required to make an official announcement when a trade deal is made. However, sources within the Mumbai cricket circle confirmed that the two trade deals are well on track, with an official confirmation slated to take place on November 15.
The Mumbai Ranji trophy captain, who won two IPL titles with Chennai Super Kings, had gone unsold in at the mega auction last year in Jeddah. However, he was picked as a replacement player before the start of the IPL 2025 season by LSG. He played 10 games in the season, picking 13 wickets.
Summary:
Ravichandran Ashwin’s recent social media post triggered widespread rumours of a potential blockbuster trade involving Mumbai Indians, leaving fans and analysts eager for official confirmation.