In the cash-rich league Indian Premier League (IPL), player movement has notably become a year-round exercise, with franchises tinkering with their combinations and eyeing trade opportunities well before the next season gets underway. Even in 2026, Sanju Samson's move to Chennai Super Kings was one of the high-profile transfers ahead of the next season. 

Not only that, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants also struck a massive deal involving Rishabh Pant and Kuldeep Yadav. Rishabh Pant went to his former franchise, Delhi Capitals, while Kuldeep Yadav, leaving Delhi Capitals, joined Lucknow Super Giants. Now, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is in the news amid the growing chatter of an IPL transfer. 

There have been rumours about the possibility of the India all-rounder leaving Mumbai Indians; however, there has been no official confirmation. Amid all this, former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has stated that the IPL needs to have transparency when such deals are completed.

"...there's some speculation in the media about the possible switching of players from one franchise to another. There's, of course, still some time before that window closes. However, while the transfer of a player from one franchise to another is in the public domain, when a trade takes place, the numbers are known only to the two franchises, the player and the BCCI," Sunil Gavaskar wrote in Mid-Day.

"In such a situation, the other franchises don't know whether the salary cap that every franchise has for its squad was maintained or breached. That's why it's important for full transparency that the numbers are also made public."

Gavaskar further said that transparency would be helpful in maintaining the high standards of the league. 

"The IPL is the greatest T20 league in the world and it's therefore crucial that full transparency is maintained so that there's no finger-pointing at it from those jealous of it," he wrote further.