Shardul Thakur became the first player to be traded ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) auction on Thursday. The veteran pacer was bought by Mumbai Indians (MI) from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a cash deal for an amount of Rs 2 crore.
The Mumbai based all-rounder was picked up by the Lucknow Super Giants for the same base amount of INR 2 crore as an injury replacement in In the last season. Thakur made 10 appearances and took 13 wickets in the 18th edition of the tournament.
Alongside Thakur, MI also acquired West Indies based all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford from the Gujarat Titans (GT) for Rs 2.6 crore. Rutherford, who had been initially bought by GT for a fee of INR 2.6 crore, will now move to MI at his existing fee.
The 27-year-old cricketer from the Caribbean has featured in 44 T20Is for the West Indies and holds the record for the highest sixth-wicket partnership in T20Is, from when he stitched together a mighty 139-run stand with Andre Russell against Australia in Perth.
Rutherford has played 23 IPL matches so far, having earlier represented Delhi Capitals in 2019 and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2022. He had previously also joined Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, but did not feature in the playing XI during that season.
Apart from their deal regarding Shardul, MI and LSG have also agreed on a separate transfer involving Arjun Tendulkar, who has been playing for MI since IPL 2023.
As per a report by ESPN, the left-arm fast bowler, who was bought by MI for INR 30 lakh last year, has been traded to LSG. Sport analysts speculate that MI released Tendulkar to allow the player to explore more playing opportunities at LSG.
The IPL 2026 mini-auction is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on December 16. The tournament is expected to begin around mid-March 2026.
