India, May 25 -- Hours after Mumbai Indians' final game of IPL 2026 - a crushing defeat that marked their 10th loss of the season and fifth at home - and after the management remained non-committal about his future, Hardik Pandya shared a post on Instagram that sent the internet spiralling. Was this the end of Hardik's second stint with Mumbai? Had he just hinted at another blockbuster IPL transfer?

It was supposed to be branded as the "return of the prodigal son" when Hardik was brought back to Mumbai in a blockbuster trade deal with the Gujarat Titans in late 2023. Rohit Sharma, despite his legacy, was unceremoniously removed as captain, and Hardik was handed the responsibility of leading the franchise into a new era.

However, in his ...