Mumbai: Rumours claiming that Hardik Pandya unfollowed Mumbai Indians on Instagram after allegedly being removed as captain have gone viral on social media, but the claims appear to be false.
Speculation intensified after Hardik missed Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2026 clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur due to a back spasm. Reports and fan discussions online soon began suggesting that the all-rounder had been sacked as captain following Mumbai Indians’ disappointing campaign this season.
Several social media users also claimed that Hardik had unfollowed the franchise on Instagram and deleted collaborative posts with the team.
However, a closer look at his official Instagram account showed that Hardik Pandya continues to follow Mumbai Indians on the platform.
Rumours spread after MI’s elimination
The speculation emerged shortly after Mumbai Indians became the second team to be eliminated from IPL 2026 following their defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The five-time champions have endured a difficult campaign, losing eight out of their 11 matches despite entering the season as one of the tournament favourites.
Hardik’s absence from consecutive matches due to injury further fuelled discussions around the franchise’s leadership and internal situation.
Fans on social media quickly began circulating unverified reports suggesting that Mumbai Indians had removed Hardik from captaincy responsibilities after the team’s poor performances this season.
The rumours gained even more traction when some users claimed that the cricketer had unfollowed the franchise on Instagram in response.
Hardik still follows Mumbai Indians
Despite the viral claims, Hardik Pandya’s Instagram account still listed Mumbai Indians among the accounts he follows at the time of verification.
The Mumbai franchise remained one of the 151 accounts followed by the Indian all-rounder.
In addition, collaborative posts and videos featuring Hardik and Mumbai Indians also continued to remain visible on his Instagram profile.
While it cannot be independently confirmed whether Hardik may have briefly unfollowed the franchise before following again, there is currently no public evidence supporting claims that he has permanently unfollowed Mumbai Indians or cut ties with the team on social media.
There has also been no official announcement from Mumbai Indians regarding any change in captaincy.
Injury sidelines Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya missed the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru after reportedly suffering from a back spasm. He had also sat out Mumbai Indians’ previous fixture against Lucknow Super Giants.
The franchise management and medical staff decided not to risk the all-rounder considering his fitness concerns.
Hardik’s absence came at a difficult stage for Mumbai Indians, who were fighting to stay alive in the playoff race.
Without their captain, the team struggled once again and suffered another defeat, officially ending their IPL 2026 campaign.
Another disappointing outing for Mumbai Indians
Batting first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Mumbai Indians managed only 166/7 in 20 overs.
Tilak Varma top-scored for MI with a fighting half-century, making 57 runs, while the rest of the batting order failed to build substantial partnerships.
Mumbai’s bowlers attempted to keep the contest competitive, but a composed innings from Krunal Pandya guided RCB to victory.
Krunal’s unbeaten 73 helped Bengaluru chase down the target comfortably and confirmed Mumbai Indians’ exit from the tournament.
The season has raised major questions around MI’s consistency, team balance and leadership decisions. After reaching the playoffs regularly in previous years, the franchise struggled to maintain momentum throughout IPL 2026.
Fans and analysts are now expected to closely watch Mumbai Indians’ approach ahead of next season, including decisions regarding squad rebuilding and leadership structure.
For now, however, rumours surrounding Hardik Pandya unfollowing Mumbai Indians remain unverified and false based on publicly available information.