Was this the end of Hardik Pandya’s second stint with Mumbai? Had he just hinted at another blockbuster IPL transfer?

Hours after Mumbai Indians’ final game of IPL 2026 — a crushing defeat that marked their 10th loss of the season and fifth at home — and after the management remained non-committal about his future, Hardik Pandya shared a post on Instagram that sent the internet spiralling. Was this the end of Hardik’s second stint with Mumbai? Had he just hinted at another blockbuster IPL transfer?

It was supposed to be branded as the “return of the prodigal son” when Hardik was brought back to Mumbai in a blockbuster trade deal with the Gujarat Titans in late 2023. Rohit Sharma, despite his legacy, was unceremoniously removed as captain, and Hardik was handed the responsibility of leading the franchise into a new era.

However, in his three seasons as captain, Mumbai failed to make the playoffs twice. They finished bottom of the table in 2024 in a season marred by criticism both on and off the field, bounced back in 2025 with a run to Qualifier 2, and then crashed again in 2026, finishing ninth with just four wins in 14 league games.

Moments after Sunday’s loss, batting coach Kieron Pollard hinted that Hardik was under the scanner after a poor season as captain.

Hours later, on Monday afternoon, Hardik shared a cryptic Instagram story. The image showed a laptop, seemingly playing something, alongside a notebook, a pen and his mobile phone. But what caught the internet’s attention was the time displayed on the phone screen: 07:07.

And that was enough for social media to explode into speculation.

Did Hardik just hint at leaving Mumbai to join the Chennai Super Kings? Was it some sort of coded message involving MS Dhoni?

Others were convinced it was a subtle hint towards the Rajasthan Royals, largely because the notebook and pen in the image were pink — the franchise’s primary colour.

What did Pollard say?
Speaking to reporters at the Wankhede Stadium after the 30-run loss to Rajasthan on Sunday, Pollard admitted that Hardik’s leadership stint “has not gone as well” as either the player or the franchise would have hoped.

“From a leadership perspective on Hardik, yes, it has not gone as well as he would have wanted as an individual,” Pollard said. “It might not have gone how we would have wanted as a management staff. But one thing you should know is that we have tried everything to give him the best opportunity to lead the franchise and do well.”