Rumours about a possible fallout between Hardik Pandya and Mumbai Indians went viral on social media after fans claimed the all-rounder had unfollowed the franchise on Instagram following MI's elimination from IPL 2026.
The speculation began after Mumbai Indians lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur on May 10, officially crashing out of the playoff race. Soon after the defeat, several social media users shared screenshots alleging that Mumbai Indians was missing from Hardik's Instagram following list.
For a brief period, Hardik's account reportedly showed 150 accounts being followed, with MI absent from the list. However, within minutes, the count returned to 151 and Mumbai Indians reappeared among the followed accounts.
So, did Hardik Pandya unfollow Mumbai Indians?
Technically, it appeared so briefly on Instagram. However, there is no official confirmation that the unfollow was intentional. It could have been an accidental unfollow, a temporary Instagram glitch, or a momentary change quickly reversed.
Neither Hardik Pandya nor Mumbai Indians have issued any statement regarding the incident.
At present, there is no confirmed fallout between the player and the franchise, despite widespread speculation online.
The rumours gained traction because Hardik's return to Mumbai Indians and his appointment as captain ahead of IPL 2024 had already divided sections of the fanbase. Since then, Mumbai's struggles and Hardik's performances have remained under constant scrutiny.
MI endured another disappointing IPL campaign this season and were knocked out of playoff contention after the defeat to RCB. Hardik also had a difficult season statistically, scoring 146 runs and taking four wickets in eight appearances while missing matches due to injury concerns.
11.20 pm - Hardik Pandya unfollowed Suryakumar Yadav
— Soman. (@Shreyasian96) May 10, 2026
11.25 pm - Hardik Pandya unfollowed Tilak Varma
11.30 pm - Hardik Pandya unfollowed Mumbai Indians
12.29 am - Hardik Pandya followed Mumbai and again
What's going on guys?
Despite the disappointing season, recent reports suggested the Mumbai Indians management still backs Hardik's leadership and views the franchise's issues as part of a broader transition in adapting to the evolving T20 format rather than solely a captaincy problem.
For now, the Instagram episode remains social media speculation, not confirmed evidence of a rift between Hardik Pandya and Mumbai Indians.
