India all-rounder and Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya restored his Instagram account after it was briefly unavailable on Wednesday, a move that sparked considerable speculation among fans. Around 6 PM, users were unable to access his profile, which appeared to have vanished from the platform for several hours before reappearing later that night.
Anyone searching for his account during that period was met with a “User not found” message. His profile displayed no posts, while another notice stated, “This profile is private.” The temporary disappearance came shortly after Mumbai Indians endured a disappointing IPL campaign, finishing ninth in the standings.
Users who refreshed the page were also shown a “Something went wrong” message. However, the issue was short-lived, with Pandya’s account becoming accessible again later on Wednesday evening.
How Mumbai Indians Captain Hardik Pandya Performed in IPL 2026
Hardik Pandya endured a difficult IPL 2026 campaign with Mumbai Indians, managing 206 runs in 10 matches while picking up only four wickets. His season was further disrupted by back spasms, which forced him to miss several games. Notably, two of those absences came immediately after Mumbai Indians were knocked out of playoff contention.
Following Mumbai’s defeat to Rajasthan Royals, Hardik addressed concerns about his fitness, stating that he was doing well physically and remained capable of batting, bowling and fielding, adding that he simply enjoyed contributing as a batter in that particular match.
Mumbai Indians’ decision to bring Hardik back from Gujarat Titans and appoint him captain has produced mixed results. Since his arrival in 2024 as Rohit Sharma’s successor, the franchise has finished in the bottom half of the table twice, in 2024 and 2026. Their best performance during this period came in 2025, when they reached Qualifier 2 before losing to Punjab Kings led by Shreyas Iyer.
Hardik’s return to Mumbai in 2024 was one of the most talked-about moves in IPL history. The captaincy change sparked a strong reaction from fans, with the all-rounder facing criticism and boos at several venues during the season. The India star is expected to return to action in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan starting June 14.
However, his participation will depend on his fitness, with clearance from the Centre of Excellence required before he can be considered for selection.
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