Published on: May 28, 2026 2:14 pm IST|Updated on: May 28, 2026 2:14 pm IST
Indian all-rounder and Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya is once again in the news. Hardik has shocked the world by stepping away from social media by deactivating his Instagram handle, leaving his massive online following surprised. For a few hours, anyone searching for his profile was met with a blank page saying “User not found.” Although the account, which has over 40 million followers, was brought back online later, the sudden move has sparked serious conversations about online bullying, mental exhaustion, and his future with the Mumbai Indians.
One can sense the decision of Hardik taking a social media break came after the serious outrage he had to suffer online after Mumbai’s dismal season in IPL 2026. Ever since Hardik took over the captaincy of the 5-time champions Mumbai Indians, he has been an epicenter of social media trolling, mainly because fans never accepted him as the skipper after their favorite Rohit Sharma was stripped of the role by the team management.
The backlash reached a boiling point during the Tata IPL 2026 when the Mumbai Indians became the second team, after the Lucknow Super Giants, to be eliminated from the playoff race. They finished ninth on the points table with only four wins from 14 games. Mumbai’s campaign never really kicked off; instead, it fell apart under Hardik’s leadership.
Hardik’s own form, both with the bat and ball, was concerning. He struggled to perform, scoring just 206 runs and taking only four wickets in his matches. Because he was expensive with his bowling and couldn’t win games as a captain, fans on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram blamed him entirely for the team’s failures.
It was not just his cricket that people targeted on social media; his personal life was also being heavily discussed and judged online. Social media trollers constantly chipped into Hardik’s personal space, leaving negative comments on his posts about his private life, especially after news spread about his engagement to 24-year-old fiancée Mahieka Sharma. Dealing with both professional failure and personal insults at the same time is believed to be the main reason he decided to shut down his account and get away from the noise.
Before he deactivated his account, Hardik actually caused a massive storm online with a simple photograph. Eagle-eyed fans noticed that a phone screen visible in the background of his photo showed the time 07:07.
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Since the number 7 is famously associated with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Indian legend MS Dhoni, fans immediately started speculating that Hardik was secretly hinting at a move to CSK for the next season. Well, this could be a possibility, considering the all-rounder receiving backlash for leading MI, and even his own form has been affected massively ever since he took on MI’s leadership in 2024.
To make things more suspicious, reports came out claiming that Hardik had unfollowed the official Mumbai Indians account and a few of his teammates before his profile went dark. With a minor player auction coming up before IPL 2027, fans believe that things are not well between Hardik and his current team.
The social media trolling has seemingly taken a toll on Hardik, especially after his dismal show for the Mumbai Indians. His captaincy has also come under scrutiny, especially when he was brought into the MI setup in 2024 after leading the Gujarat Titans to their maiden and only title victory in their inaugural season, i.e., 2022.
With another disappointing season over for Hardik Pandya, the all-rounder will now return to Indian cricket wearing the Indian blues. He has been selected for the 3-match ODI series against Afghanistan at home, where he will be looking to make an impact and prove his fitness for the 50-over game. With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 looming, Hardik remains an integral part of Team India’s ODI World Cup plans.