MI Coach cleared air on Hardik Pandya's absence amid follow-unfollow rumor

The Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has been at the center of multiple controversies in the 2026 Indian Premier League. And with Mumbai Indians struggling badly this season, the controversies added more drama. Notably, Hardik Pandya has missed the last three matches for Mumbai, which included the one against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur last night.

A 2-wicket defeat formally knocked MI out from the IPL 2026. And after that, the head coach of the side, Mahela Jayawardene, claimed that Pandya is suffering from a back problem. He also clarified that Pandya is with the team undergoing treatment. At the post-match press conference, Jayawardene said,

"Yeah. Hardik had a back issue, which we were trying to rectify, but it hasn’t settled in yet. So the medical guys were working on him. He could not train the last few days, so we didn’t want to take a risk without knowing."

Will Hardik Pandya play the next matches for MI?

The Mumbai Indians currently have three matches left in the league. It will determine the position where the finish is at the end of the 2026 IPL. However, whether Hardik Pandya will play in those matches is still a suspense.

In his absence, Suryakumar Yadav has been doing the job as a captain. Speaking Hardik's availability, Jayawardene said,

“So we will see. It is on a day-to-day basis. See how he feels. And then we will decide on that."

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Jayawardene spoke about MI's disappointing performance

Currently MI is stationed at the 9th spot with three wins in 11 matches. Jayawardene acknowledge their struggles and said,

“The season is disappointing. We’ve had our opportunities, but we weren’t good enough. We were not consistent enough with the ball or the bat, and that showed in the margins."

Jayawardene added,

“We were probably two or three wins away from being in the same group of contenders to get into the playoffs, but we did not get those wins and today was another classic example where we fell short."

Controversies steaming around Hardik Pandya

The MI captain has been at the centre of several off-field controversies during the 2026 IPL season, ranging from his personal life to apparent friction within the Mumbai Indians (MI) camp.

Reports surfaced that the BCCI is considering a ban on "girlfriend culture" for IPL 2027 after Mahieka was seen travelling on the MI team bus. There were unverified claims that team schedules were being disrupted or that sensitive information was being leaked.

Yesterday, eagle-eyed fans claimed Hardik briefly unfollowed the official Mumbai Indians account and deleted several team-related posts after the loss to RCB. Rumours intensified that he also unfollowed senior players like Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma.

After the move went viral, he reportedly re-followed the account within minutes or hours. Some sources suggest this was a glitch or unfounded speculation, while others view it as a sign of his impending exit from the franchise.