Why MI-Hardik Pandya relationship did not work out? Full timeline and factors behind the exit of Mumbai Indians captain originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
-
Pandya re-joined MI from Gujarat Titans in 2024.
-
Full timeline of factors that led to Pandya’s exit from MI.
Advertisement
Hardik Pandya’s second stint at MI ends as he joins Punjab Kings
Hardik Pandya’s journey as a Mumbai Indians player and captain has finally come to an end as he has formally completed a move to Punjab Kings.
Pandya’s move was part of a swap deal that MI agreed to, which will see India fast bowler Arshdeep Singh joining them for the upcoming IPL 2027 campaign.
The experienced all-rounder started his journey in the Indian Premier League with MI in 2015 and spent six seasons during his first stint. It was at MI, where Pandya rose to stardom and also made his international debut for the Men in Blue.
Advertisement
Ahead of the IPL 2022 campaign, Pandya left MI and was picked by the newly formed franchise, Gujarat Titans, at the mega-auction that year and was made the captain of the new side.
In his maiden season with GT, Pandya guided the team to an IPL title and then led them to a second consecutive final in 2023, where they lost to CSK.
After spending only two seasons in Ahmedabad, Pandya returned to MI in a much-hyped move ahead of the IPL 2024 campaign. MI signed Pandya during the trade window and also made his the team captain.
The second stint, however, did not go as per plan, as MI failed to reach the play-offs in two out of the three seasons he led them, and there was also plenty of friction in the dressing room throughout his stint.
Advertisement
MORE: ‘Questionable deal’: Ex-India star on Pandya moving to PBKS
Why did the MI-Hardik Pandya relationship not work out? Full timeline and factors behind the exit of Mumbai Indians captain
There were several factors that led to Pandya’s exit from MI after just three seasons. Here is a timeline of factors that led to the all-rounder leaving Mumbai for PBKS.
March 2024: Hardik Pandya formally assumes MI captain’s role from Rohit Sharma
Soon after Pandya’s signing from GT was confirmed, the MI management took a bold call by sacking five-time IPL champion and then-India captain Rohit Sharma from the captain’s role and appointing the all-rounder as their new skipper.
Advertisement
The decision instantly sparked anger among fans, especially those who adored Sharma, as the MI management faced severe criticism from a large section ot their supporters.
MORE: The Hardik-Arshdeep trade: Who stands to gain? MI or PBKS?
The video saga: Hardik Pandya praising CSK over MI after joining GT
After Pandya was announced as the next MI captain, a section of the outraged fans dug up old clippings of the all-rounder from his GT days. One such video surfaced online from 2022, where Pandya can be heard praising CSK’s team environment, which often leads to their title wins, while, according to him, MI’s success is purely on the star players they purchase.
Advertisement
After joining GT, Pandya, in an interview, had said, “There are two kinds of success you can get. One is get the best people possible from A to B which I feel MI had or have the best environment possible for you to win which has been a CSK type where no matter who players are, they find comfort there and best out of them.”
Hardik Pandya MI vs CSK IPL 2024
BCCI/Sportzpics
April 2024: Fans boo Hardik Pandya at Wankhede Stadium
Things further worsened between Pandya and MI fans as the IPL 2024 campaign kicked off. During a home match of MI at the Wankhede Stadium, the fans famously booed their new captain in an unprecedented event. MI eventually finished at the rock bottom that season with only four wins from 14 matches.
Advertisement
IPL 2026: Hardik Pandya lost MI dressing room as relationship soured with senior stars
After achieving moderate success in 2025, which saw MI reach the Eliminator 2, it seemed the five-time champions were finally getting back to normalcy, and Pandya was finally being accepted as the leader of the pack.
MORE: MI retention list for IPL 2027: Retained and released players
However, things turned ugly again at the start of the 2026 campaign as several media reports surfaced that Pandya had lost the MI dressing and his relationship with senior stars of the team is at its lowest point. By then, the all-rounder was both physically and mentally drained, and it became evident that this was the last season for Pandya at the franchise.
Advertisement
According to Revsportz’s Boria Majumder, MI held talks with their captain in June 2026 and then in August and September; the parties had four options in front of them. MI had swap deal offers from KKR, where they were offering Cameron Green and a fast bowler.
RR agreed to trade Yashasvi Jaiswal for Pandya, and the third offer was from Punjab, where they offered Arshdeep, which eventually materialised. A fourth option that MI offered to Pandya was to stay back for one more season before the mega-auction next year.
For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary, and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
