Questions surrounding Hardik Pandya’s reported social media activity have triggered fresh criticism of Mumbai Indians’ turbulent IPL 2026 campaign, with Former England Captains Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook publicly condemning the situation following the franchise’s elimination from the playoff race. According to reports, Pandya briefly unfollowed Mumbai Indians on Instagram after the team’s last-ball defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru before later following the franchise again, although no verified proof of the activity has surfaced publicly.
The discussion gathered further momentum after Pandya missed multiple matches due to a back spasm while also sharing training footage online during Mumbai Indians’ difficult closing stretch of the season. The controversy has since extended beyond India, with Vaughan and Cook addressing the situation during an episode of the Stick to Cricket podcast.
Vaughan and Cook question Hardik Pandya situation
Reacting to reports around the alleged Instagram activity, Cook said, “That’s a big diss in the modern world, isn’t it?”
Vaughan then added, “That’s a low blow,” while discussing the wider reaction surrounding Mumbai Indians and Pandya’s relationship with the franchise.
The conversation also turned toward the timing of the controversy after Mumbai Indians’ narrow defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru effectively ended the team’s playoff hopes.
“He was injured, but they lost to RCB off the last ball. That’s the ultimate disrespect,” Vaughan said on the Stick to Cricket podcast.
Former England cricketers David Lloyd and Phil Tufnell also joined the discussion during the episode as criticism continued to build around Mumbai Indians’ underwhelming season despite the strength of the squad assembled for IPL 2026.
Mumbai Indians season comes under renewed scrutiny
Mumbai Indians entered the season with one of the strongest squads in the competition, featuring senior India stars including Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah. However, the franchise failed to convert that talent into consistent results and was knocked out of playoff contention following the defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Vaughan reflected on Pandya’s return to Mumbai Indians after his successful spell with Gujarat Titans, where he led the franchise to an IPL title shortly after joining them.
“He went to Gujarat and won it. Mumbai bought him but they’ve had an absolute stinker,” Vaughan said.
The former England Captain went even further in his assessment of Mumbai Indians’ campaign while comparing the squad’s quality with the team’s overall performance during the season.
“I reckon, with that team and that group of players, it’s the worst performance by a team in any tournament. Name me a worse performance by a group that talented. They’ve got Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah,” Vaughan stated.
Pressure grows after another failed playoff campaign
Mumbai Indians’ exit marked the fourth time in the last six seasons that the franchise has failed to qualify for the IPL playoffs, continuing a period of inconsistency for one of the league’s most successful teams.
With only a handful of league matches remaining in their campaign, the franchise now faces increasing scrutiny around leadership, squad management and the broader direction of the team following another disappointing season despite entering IPL 2026 with one of the competition’s most heavily backed squads.
