Hardik Pandya sacked by Mumbai Indians? Mahieka Sharma's viral Instagram story sparks fresh chaos ahead of PBKS clash

The Mumbai Indians will face the Punjab Kings in a crucial IPL 2026 clash at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala on Thursday, May 14. The Kings need a win to strengthen their playoff position, while Mumbai, already eliminated, will aim to end their disappointing season by hurting Punjab’s qualification hopes.

Ahead of this match, MI skipper Hardik Pandya and his girlfriend Mahieka Sharma once again grabbed headlines for a significant reason. Fresh speculation surrounding Pandya and the MI surfaced on social media after Mahieka Sharma shared a post online.

The story sparked rumours that Hardik Pandya reportedly did not travel with the squad to Dharamshala ahead of their IPL 2026 clash against the Punjab Kings. It also produced a major rumour update that the Indian superstar all-rounder had already been sacked from the Blue and Gold Brigade.

See the viral post here :

MI crash out of IPL 2026 playoffs: Is Hardik Pandya's Mumbai Indians chapter finally over?

The IPL 2026 season will always remain a nightmare for Hardik Pandya. As both a captain and a player, Pandya failed to provide enough support to the Mumbai Indians camp. His win percentage as MI captain across the 2024, 2025, and 2026 seasons stands at 40.54, the lowest among all captains in the franchise’s history. While Mumbai reached the playoffs in 2025 with a fourth-place finish, the team suffered another disappointing campaign in 2026 after being eliminated early with only three wins from eleven matches.

The disappointment becomes even bigger considering Hardik’s recent success with India. After playing a major role in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph with both bat and ball, many expected him to become MI’s biggest match-winner this season. However, the all-rounder failed to deliver consistent performances for the five-time IPL champions team and struggled to make an impact in crucial matches.

In the eight matches he played this season, Hardik scored only 146 runs at a strike rate of 136.44 and failed to score a single half-century. With the ball, he managed just four wickets, a huge decline compared to the 14 wickets he took in 15 matches last season. These performances have now raised serious questions about his future with the Mumbai Indians, with many fans wondering whether the franchise could look for a fresh start ahead of IPL 2027.

Unfollow, refollow, deleted posts: Inside the social media story that has everyone talking

The matter became even more significant when fans noticed that Hardik Pandya had reportedly unfollowed the MI after their defeat against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In the match against RCB, Mumbai suffered a narrow defeat as the contest went down to the final over, and the loss officially knocked the team out of the IPL 2026 playoff race.

For a brief period, Hardik’s Instagram profile reportedly showed 150 accounts in his following list, with the Mumbai Indians missing from it. The incident quickly grabbed attention on social media, with fans speculating about possible tensions between the player and the franchise.

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However, just a few minutes later, fans noticed that his following count had gone back up to 151, with the Mumbai Indians once again appearing in Pandya’s following list. So, did Hardik really unfollow MI? According to multiple fan observations and social media claims, it did appear so for a short time, but his profile currently shows that he is following the MI again.

New captain, new era? What Hardik Pandya's MI future looks like now

The Mumbai Indians have not won the IPL since 2020, when they defeated the Delhi Capitals in the final to lift their fifth title. Since then, the franchise has qualified for the playoffs only twice, in 2023 and 2025, and has also finished 10th in IPL 2024.

If Mumbai honestly analyse their recent performances, they may realise that the team now needs a major reset. Many believe the changes could begin from the top, including the leadership group of captain Hardik Pandya and head coach Mahela Jayawardene. Hardik has struggled to inspire the side, both with his performances and his leadership, during the ongoing season.

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Pandya has scored only 146 runs in eight innings this season, with a highest score of 40 and a strike rate of 136.44. With the ball, he has taken just four wickets at an economy rate of 11.90, making him one of the least effective captains this season. The Mumbai Indians are known as one of the proudest and most successful franchises in IPL history, but their recent inconsistency has raised serious concerns. If the franchise wants to stop this decline and build strongly for IPL 2027 and beyond, the management may soon have to make some big decisions regarding the team’s future leadership.

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