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Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya once again became the centre of social media discussions after his latest Instagram story sparked fresh speculation involving MS Dhoni and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
The post came shortly after MI endured a disappointing campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, where the five-time champions failed to qualify for the playoffs and finished ninth on the points table.
Hardik himself had a difficult season both as a captain and player as injuries and poor form heavily affected his performances throughout the tournament.
Hardik Pandya’s Instagram story triggers MS Dhoni and CSK theories
The speculation started after Hardik uploaded a picture on his Instagram story featuring a laptop playing a movie, a notebook, a pen, and his mobile phone placed beside them.
However, fans quickly noticed one specific detail in the image — the time displayed on the phone screen.
The clock showed “07:07,” which immediately grabbed the attention of cricket fans online.
Since the number seven has become almost synonymous with former India and CSK skipper MS Dhoni over the years, social media users were quick to connect the dots and start fresh discussions regarding Hardik Pandya and CSK.
The image soon went viral across social media platforms, with many fans jokingly linking the Instagram story to a possible future CSK connection involving Hardik.
The speculation also intensified because multiple reports had already surfaced during IPL 2026, suggesting that MI could potentially explore trade options involving Hardik after the season.
However, neither the player nor the franchise has made any official statement regarding such reports so far.
MI endured one of their worst IPL campaigns in history
Mumbai Indians had a forgettable IPL 2026 campaign despite entering the tournament with one of the strongest squads on paper.
After winning their opening game against Kolkata Knight Riders, MI went on to lose four consecutive matches before briefly reviving their campaign with a victory over Gujarat Titans.
However, the momentum did not last long as the five-time champions again suffered three back-to-back defeats and eventually managed to win only four matches throughout the season.
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The batting lineup featuring superstar names like Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya failed to consistently deliver.
At the same time, the bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar also struggled throughout the season.
As a result, MI ended IPL 2026 with one of the poorest campaigns in the franchise’s rich IPL history.
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