Hardik Pandya deleted Instagram account after Mumbai Indians' horror IPL 2026 campaign

Indian all-rounder and Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya on Wednesday deleted or deactivated his Instagram account, days after a disappointing IPL 2026 campaign ended with a ninth-place finish. Searching Pandy’s profile now returns a “User not found” message while the account shows no posts and is marked as private.

The development comes after Mumbai Indians endured one of their worst IPL seasons. The five-time champions won just four of their 14 league matches to finish ninth in the 10-team table, ahead of only Lucknow Super Giants.

The reason behind Hardik’s Instagram exit is unknown. However, the Indian star faced heavy criticism on social media Mumbai Indians’ poor performances under his leadership. A section of fans also commented on his personal life after news of his engagement to Mahieka Sharma surfaced online.

Hardik remains active on other social media platforms including X, formerly Twitter. His Facebook and Threads accounts are also active.

The all-rounder recently sparked speculation about his future after he shared a picture on social media which fans believed hinted at a possible move to Chennai Super Kings. The “07:07” time stamp visible on his phone in the image led to widespread discussion online.

Former CSK spinner Ravichandran Ashwin further fueled the speculation with a post on X that read: “Pathirana, 07:07 & Stokes!”

There were also reports claiming that Hardik had unfollowed Mumbai Indians and several players from the franchise on Instagram, adding to rumors of a possible exit ahead of the next IPL season. Neither Hardik nor the Mumbai Indians have commented on the news.

Hardik struggled for form during IPL 2026, scoring 146 runs in eight innings and taking three wickets.

Former India batsman Wasim Jaffer said Mumbai Indians should retain Hardik but consider appointing another captain next season.

“I won’t make him captain but he will definitely be retained. I want him to open up and get the best out of him,” Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.

Asked about a possible replacement for Hardik as captain, Jaffer said, “It would be difficult to pick a captain at this stage.”

Mumbai Indians ended their campaign with a thirty-run defeat against Rajasthan Royals in their last league match, suffering their 10th loss of the season.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

May 27, 2026 6:53 PM IST