Fact Check: Did Hardik Pandya unfollow Mumbai Indians after being knocked out from IPL 2026?

On Monday, May 11 an unexpected news story surfaced over the internet following Mumbai Indians’ (MI) elimination from Indian Premier league (IPL) 2026 playoffs race after they endured a 2-wicket defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Raipur. With their season already on the brink of elimination, they became just the second team after Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to get knocked out.

But moments after MI’s defeat, their skipper, Hardik Pandya, was once again in the news. The Indian all-rounder, who replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain of the side ahead of IPL 2024, hasn’t had a great time with MI as the skipper and hogged the limelight for unfollowing the MI Instagram account after their defeat on Sunday.

The speculations had intensified following unverified reports of a rift in the camp. Moreover, reports also revealed that he unfollowed Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma.

Did Hardik Pandya actually unfollow MI on Instagram?

Pandya, who has been under scrutiny regarding his leadership, was seen having a dismal season this year. Pandya’s absence from a couple of games did leave a visible void in both captaincy and on-field strategies. As a result, he not only drew criticism but also closely watched, thus leading to fans noticing him unfollow the franchise’s Instagram account. 

Notably, for a brief period after RCB vs MI IPL 2026 fixture, Hardik Pandya’s Instagram profile reportedly showed 150 accounts being followed and MI’s account was missing from the list. But only minutes later, fans noticed the number change to 151 and MI once again appearing in the search list of followed accounts.

Although Pandya hasn’t opened up on the same, but this might be a technical glitch, which has been noticed in the past as well or even a moment of frustration. 

MI end IPL 2026 title hopes after defeat vs RCB

Speaking of MI, the franchise have been officially knocked out of the IPL 2026 following their loss against the defending champions. However, the franchise still has three more league stage fixtures left, including one each against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR). Currently placed 9th in the points table, they will only look to go upwards from here, but will aim to come back stronger next year. 

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