Shardul Thakur has been traded to Mumbai Indians in the IPL, and this news came out thanks to a small mistake by Ravichandran Ashwin.
Yesterday, Wednesday, Ashwin live-streamed on his YouTube channel, where he thoughtlessly announced that Shardul had been traded from LSG to MI.
This news spread so quickly that it went viral on social media, and today Mumbai Indians officially confirmed it.
Ashwin’s ‘tongue slip’ creates a stir
Ashwin said in the video, “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.”
The clip was shared so quickly that Ashwin had to remove his video, but it was too late. Mumbai Indians posted a humorous post on their official Instagram handle.
It read: “News confirmed by Ravichandran Romano last afternoon – Yes, we have secured the signing of Shardul Thakur from LSG!”
Here, ‘Romano’ referred to Rajasthan Royals fan Ashwin, who sometimes makes such mix-ups.
Fans enjoyed this, but Ashwin warned everyone with a post on Instagram on Thursday.
He said, “Trading is subject to rumor risk. Upload all trade-related videos carefully!” Meaning, “Trading is subject to rumor risk, so think before uploading videos.”
This post was in response to a viral clip of Mumbai Indians, and people liked it a lot.
Shardul’s new journey with MI
Shardul Thakur will now be seen in the Mumbai Indians jersey in IPL 2026. He went unsold in the Jeddah auction last year, but replaced Mohsin Khan at LSG at a base price of ₹2 crore.
In IPL 2025, he took 13 wickets in 10 matches, including a four-wicket haul once, and had an economy rate of 11.02.
This will be his seventh IPL franchise, having previously played for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Rising Pune Supergiant, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, LSG, and Chennai Super Kings, where he spent five years.
Shardul’s return will be special for MI, as he originated from Chennai and will now feel like a home team. This deal is beneficial for both teams.
