Hardik Pandya triggered fresh speculation around his future with Mumbai Indians after fans noticed that the all-rounder had apparently unfollowed the franchise on Instagram following MI’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoff exit. The activity quickly went viral on social media, with many linking it to growing fallout rumours around Mumbai’s difficult season.
The speculation began shortly after MI’s defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 10 in Raipur officially knocked them out of the playoff race. For a brief period after the game, Hardik’s Instagram profile reportedly showed 150 accounts being followed, with Mumbai Indians missing from that list.
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But only minutes later, fans noticed the number had changed back to 151, with Mumbai Indians once again appearing among the accounts followed by Pandya.
That brief social media activity was enough to send rumours flying online.
The situation gained even more attention because Hardik’s return to Mumbai Indians and his appointment as captain ahead of IPL 2024 had already divided sections of the MI fanbase. Since then, every difficult phase involving the franchise or the captain has been heavily scrutinised online.
DID HARDIK PANDYA REALLY UNFOLLOW MI?
Technically, for a brief period, it appeared so on Instagram.
Multiple users on social media shared screenshots showing Mumbai Indians missing from Hardik’s following list immediately after MI’s defeat against RCB.
However, within minutes, the MI account reappeared on his profile, leading many to wonder whether it had been an accidental unfollow, a technical glitch or a genuine moment of frustration after the loss.
Neither Hardik Pandya nor Mumbai Indians have officially commented on the situation.
As a result, the entire episode currently remains social media speculation rather than a confirmed fallout between the player and the franchise.
Still, because of the history surrounding Hardik’s leadership appointment and Mumbai’s struggles over the last two seasons, the incident naturally grabbed huge attention online.
WHY ARE MI-HARDIK FALLOUT RUMOURS GROWING?
A large part of it comes from how difficult IPL 2026 has been for both Hardik and Mumbai Indians.
MI were officially knocked out of the playoff race after the defeat to RCB, continuing a disappointing campaign where consistency never really arrived.
Hardik himself also endured a tough season statistically.
Across eight appearances this year, the all-rounder managed only 146 runs and picked up four wickets. Injuries further disrupted his season, with the MI captain missing three matches overall because of fitness issues linked to a back spasm.
He missed Mumbai’s clash against Lucknow Super Giants and then remained unavailable again against RCB after not being cleared medically.
With Hardik out, Suryakumar Yadav stepped in to captain the side following the birth of his daughter earlier this week.
Despite the disappointing campaign, reports earlier this week suggested Mumbai Indians management still continue to back Hardik’s leadership. According to those reports, the franchise sees MI’s struggles as part of a larger issue involving adapting to the evolving T20 format rather than purely a captaincy problem.
But after another early playoff exit and the latest Instagram activity, the noise around Hardik’s future at Mumbai Indians has only become louder again.
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