Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cricketer Manvinder Bisla has backed the veteran all-rounder Hardik Pandya to join the three-time champions KKR ahead of IPL 2027. Ever since the conclusion of the 2026 edition, where Mumbai Indians (MI) under Hardik had a disastrous season and finished ninth, the all-rounder has been linked with several teams as well.

Speaking on a YouTube podcast (TheBallyBaazi), he said: “100% (On Kolkata being the best-suited team for Hardik). There’s no doubt about it. Kolkata is one team where there is a search for a leader, where he can excel and get the freedom he needs. Because, look, I feel KKR would suit Hardik really well. He will get freedom, he will get leadership, and whatever Hardik needs at this point in time, he will get all of it at KKR.”

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“He might also have leadership on his mind, thinking, ‘I need to show somewhere that I am a very good leader.’ Because if you look at his time leading GT, the team became champions and also reached another final. So I don’t think you can have too many doubts about his captaincy. Obviously, his two or three years with MI haven’t been that great because, as you can see, there are a lot of leaders in that team, and managing so many leaders can sometimes be very difficult for teams,” he further added.

During the same conversation, Manvinder Bisla also added that a potential Hardik Pandya-KKR deal could also be difficult, depending on which players MI demand in return as well.

“But the question is, what does Mumbai Indians want from KKR? Because Mumbai Indians will also feel that if a player like Hardik is leaving them, they should at least get one or two players in return who can fit into their playing XI. That’s why getting this deal done would be very difficult. But if Kolkata manage to bring Hardik into their team, I’ve never seen a bigger trade than this in my life, brother,” Manvinder Bisla concluded.