Shardul Thakur has responded to the growing speculation around Hardik Pandya’s future at Mumbai Indians, dismissing transfer rumours surrounding the MI captain after the team’s six-wicket win over Punjab Kings on May 14.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Shardul said that social media chatter should largely remain confined to social media and clarified that Hardik was currently unavailable because of injury.
“There is a lot of chatter on social media. Some are true and some are false. But only the team management decides in the end,” Shardul said.
PBKS vs MI: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Hardik did not travel with the team to Dharamsala for the Punjab clash and has now missed Mumbai’s last three matches in the Indian Premier League 2026 season.
The absence of the MI skipper has fuelled rumours of unrest within the franchise, with speculation suggesting that Hardik could be traded to Chennai Super Kings. Reports and fan chatter intensified due to the perceived close relationship between CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan and former India captain MS Dhoni.
Hardik has also been loosely linked with franchises such as Delhi Capitals following Mumbai’s disappointing season.
However, Shardul insisted that the all-rounder’s absence was purely injury-related and revealed that Hardik was currently undergoing rehabilitation in Mumbai.
“If we talk specifically about Hardik Pandya, he had an injury and he did not travel with the team. He travelled to Raipur, but he was not able to play there. He is now in Mumbai training. I am expecting him to return to action in Kolkata and play the game,” Shardul said.
“We always miss a player of his calibre when he doesn’t play,” he added.
Mumbai are scheduled to face Kolkata Knight Riders on May 20 at Eden Gardens.
Hardik has endured a difficult IPL 2026 campaign both as captain and player. With the bat, he has managed just 146 runs at a strike rate of 136, while he has taken only four wickets with the ball at an average of 61 this season.
On Thursday, despite the absence of Hardik Pandya and vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav, Mumbai Indians managed to beat Punjab Kings by 6 wickets. Tilak Varma stood up in the 201-run chase, guiding the team to a victory with a massive six in the penultimate ball.
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