'Hardik is a warrior, a proven world-class cricketer, and he brings so much. And I think he'll be free from injury going forward.'

Confident that a "different Hardik Pandya" will come to the fore at Punjab Kings, co-owner Ness Wadia said both the franchise and the premier India all-rounder are "in it for the long term", brushing aside concerns surrounding team dynamics following his entry.

Punjab have traded their pace spearhead Arshdeep Singh to bring in Pandya from Mumbai Indians.

Pandya had a topsy-turvy run at MI in his second coming during which he captained the side through a difficult phase.

Speaking to PTI after completing the biggest trade in IPL history, Wadia said the team needed a player like Pandya to push for a long-awaited title. He also insisted that Pandya will have no issues playing under Shreyas Iyer despite the former's rich captaincy experience in the IPL.

Pandya's Long-Term Vision with Punjab Kings

"We're definitely in it for the long term and so is he. I had a beautiful conversation with him. He's all ready to go. And I think you'll see a different Hardik Pandya and a very experienced Hardik Pandya coming to the fore.

"And he's very keen to share his experience and his wisdom with us. It will strengthen our core group and will be a big support to Shreyas on the field and Ricky (head coach Ricky Ponting) and everyone off the field," Wadia said.

Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians roughly took a month to close the trade with Arshdeep Singh going to the five-time champions in return.

Wadia said Pandya adds immensely to the franchise both as a player and as a brand.

"He's got a lot of followers. He's an icon. He brings in a lot, his experience, you know, more than anything...Mumbai will benefit from Arshdeep and we will benefit from Hardik. It is the biggest trade in IPL history," said the industrialist.

Hardik and Iyer's Relationship

Pandya, who led Gujarat Titans to an IPL title, will be happy to play under Shreyas, said Wadia.

"Shreyas has a very good relationship with Hardik. Ricky has worked with Hardik in the past. It's a win-win for everyone. From our perspective, we felt that we needed to improve things going forward.

"And from that perspective, it seemed like a good swap to get Hardik, who's a world-class player, who's won several trophies, five IPL trophies, and three or four ICC."

Addressing Injury Concerns

Considering that Pandya is injury prone, was his fitness discussed by the team management before coming to a conclusion? Even now, he is recovering from niggles.

"Of course, it was discussed and we did weigh the pros and cons. But Hardik is a warrior, a proven world-class cricketer, and he brings so much. And I think he'll be free from injury going forward," he said.

Arshdeep's Potential Return and Team Balance

Wadia said it was tough to let Arshdeep go following a long association but left the door open for his return.

"Arshdeep has been with us for eight years. The emotion of having Arshdeep, letting go of him was not an easy decision, I can assure you. But having said that, Hardik brings with him, all that he has achieved and he's got a lot more to achieve," Wadia said.

"I'm personally very proud of Arshdeep. The franchise is very proud of him. India is proud of him. He's achieved a lot. So, it was tough to bid farewell to him. He might come back at a later date, but we wish him all the best."

Punjab Kings are now a side packed with all-rounders with Pandya joining the likes of Marco Jansen and Azmatullah Omarzai.

The team will look for Arshdeep's replacement at the auction but Wadia is confident of the existing bowling resources.

"We're pretty confident even today. We've got bowlers like Yash Thakur, Marco Jansen, Yuzi Chahal, Omarzai. We've got Hardik. We've got Harpreet Brar. We've got a bunch of great bowlers who you can mix up," he said.

"And I think that it allows the captain and the coach to really optimise. Because again, in T20, the more bowlers you have, the better. Additionally we've got Suryansh Shedge and Shashank Singh who can bowl. I think we're pretty sorted," added Wadia.