Hardik Pandya, India’s star all rounder and Mumbai Indians captain, appears to have deleted or deactivated his Instagram account. Searches for his profile now display a “User not found” message, while his page also shows “This profile is private” with no visible posts.
At times, users attempting to refresh the account are also seeing an additional message stating, “Something went wrong.”
The development comes shortly after Mumbai Indians endured another disappointing Indian Premier League campaign, finishing ninth on the points table.
Hardik remained under heavy scrutiny throughout IPL 2026, with his performances and leadership becoming a major talking point during the season. Speculation over his future also intensified online, with several rumours linking him to a possible move away from Mumbai Indians.
Recently, Hardik sparked fresh chatter after posting a photo featuring the timestamp “07:07” on his phone screen. Fans quickly interpreted it as a cryptic reference to Chennai Super Kings, sending social media into a frenzy over a possible transfer.
Adding to the speculation, veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin posted on X: “Pathirana, 07:07 & Stokes!”, a message many believed hinted at transfer discussions involving CSK.
Hardik’s difficult IPL 2026 season
The 2026 season proved challenging for Hardik both as captain and player. In 10 matches, he scored 206 runs while picking up only four wickets with the ball. He also missed a few games due to back spasms.
Notably, the all rounder sat out the two matches immediately after Mumbai Indians were knocked out of playoff contention.
Following Mumbai’s defeat to Rajasthan Royals, Hardik addressed concerns around his fitness and insisted he was doing fine.
“Everything is fine. I bat, I bowl, I field, I skip, so it’s okay,” he had said after the match.
Hardik’s return to Mumbai Indians in 2024 from Gujarat Titans remains one of the biggest talking points in recent IPL history. His appointment as captain in place of Rohit Sharma triggered backlash from sections of Mumbai Indians fans, with the all rounder facing boos at multiple venues during IPL 2024.
Under his leadership, Mumbai Indians finished in the bottom half of the table in both 2024 and 2026. Their only deep playoff run came in 2025, when they reached Qualifier 2 before losing to Punjab Kings led by Shreyas Iyer.
Hardik is next expected to feature in India’s upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan starting June 14, though his participation will depend on receiving fitness clearance from the Centre of Excellence.
