- By Namrata Vijay
- Fri, 29 May 2026 06:12 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IPL 2026: Hardik Pandya’s second stint with the Mumbai Indians unraveled, and speculations are rife that he now wants to exit the franchise. As per PTI, the star all-rounder informed the team management of his wish to leave, and it appears highly likely he will not represent the Mumbai-based franchise next season. During the ongoing season, MI tumbled to ninth in the points table after clinching just 4 out of 14 matches.
Hardik missed a few matches due to a back spasm and was struggling with both bat and ball. Hardik, who rejoined the Mumbai-based franchise as the new skipper during IPL 2024, couldn't lead the team effectively for the last three years. During IPL 2024, MI fans booed Hardik continuously after he replaced Rohit Sharma as skipper. They finished last in the points table that season. But during IPL 2025, they bounced back and reached Qualifier 2.
But they faltered again in the ongoing season, failing to fire, and this was seen as the final blow, as Hardik’s patience with both the players and the team management wore thin.
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"Hardik was mentally stressed and completely exhausted. That pain wasn't just physical—his back injury was matched by emotional fatigue. When hopes for the playoffs were dashed, Hardik, drained and dejected, told the decision-makers, 'I can't stay on,'" a source told PTI.
"People forget, Hardik is only 32. When he returned to MI at 30 in 2024, he walked into a storm—facing jeers, rising pressure and, once again, things spiraling out of control this season," the source confided, the weight of disappointment clear even in recounting his words.
‘He’s done'
Hardik had taken just four wickets in the ongoing season and, midway through, informed the team management that he wanted to leave, especially after MI were officially knocked out of playoff contention. Speculation was also rife that many senior players weren't in agreement with everything in the dressing room.
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When Hardik skipped a few matches owing to a back spasm this year, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah stepped in and captained as stand-in skippers.
"There is only so much that a young man can endure. The last three years haven't been kind to him. The MI dressing room he exited in 2021 wasn’t the same as the one he re-entered in 2024. Not every senior player aligned with his approach," the source added.
"If results emerge despite divergent views, you still won’t feel frustrated. But when everyone pulls in different directions, you eventually run out of mental bandwidth to keep pushing. So, Hardik resolved mid-season that he would not return to MI next season. One thing is certain: He is finished with MI. Closer to August, one might detect some signal about his next move," the source concluded.
According to the report, Pandya was left reeling by disappointment with a few senior players who demanded 100 percent commitment from him when he represented India but failed to reciprocate when he captained the Mumbai-based franchise.