Mumbai Indians Hilariously Shut Down Wild Fan Theory About Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya

Speculation surrounds Rohit Sharma’s role at MI, with him having reportedly informed the team management of his desire to play full matches.

Mumbai Indians Hilariously Shut Down Wild Fan Theory About Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya

Mumbai Indians debunked a wild theory involving captain Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma. (via NDTV Sports)

In Short
  • Mumbai Indians humorously debunked rumors of a rift between Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya on social media.
  • The franchise aims to win their sixth IPL title in the upcoming 2026 season after a five-year gap.
  • Rohit Sharma's performance has faced criticism, with claims he hasn't scored over 500 runs in a season since 2013.

Five-time IPL-winning side Mumbai Indians debunked a social media theory about a possible rift between Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya.

The franchise’s social media account humorously rejected the rumors that the current MI captain had issued an ‘ultimatum’ to Sharma.

Mumbai Indians step into the upcoming 2026 IPL season with an eye on winning the trophy for the sixth time. They will look to end their five-year-long wait for the title, having last won it in 2020.

The franchise has undergone significant changes since 2020, most notably the unexpected decision to remove Rohit Sharma from the captaincy. The 38-year-old was succeeded by Hardik Pandya, who returned to the team from Gujarat Titans in 2024.

Pandya’s first season as MI’s captain ended in disappointment, with the team finishing at the bottom of the standings. However, he guided Mumbai to the playoffs last summer.

Despite a star-studded roster that includes Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah, Sharma has often been singled out for his performance. He scored 418 runs in 15 matches with an average of only 29.86 during IPL 2025.

A recent, widely shared social media post alleged that Hardik Pandya had informed the MI management that he would not tolerate underperformance from Rohit Sharma. The post, which was later flagged as fake, also claimed that the team management remains frustrated with Sharma, who has not scored over 500 runs in a single IPL season since 2013. It even went to the extent of claiming that Pandya might demand that the former Indian captain be dropped, also over his poor strike-rate. 

Mumbai Indians, interestingly, shared a hilarious response, with its official social media account quoting the viral rumors with the caption, “Kuch Bhi!”, meaning ‘Anything’. Furthermore, the text was accompanied by a funny GIF of their current captain, as the franchise intended to discredit the claims as baseless. There, however, seems to be a major contention over Sharma’s utilization as an impact substitute.

Nonetheless, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya will next be seen in action in IPL 2026, starting March 28. Mumbai Indians will begin their campaign against the Kolkata Knight Riders on March 29, with the match to be played at the Wankhede Stadium. 

R Ashwin’s bold 2027 WC call: Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli opening pair, Shubman Gill overlooked

Former India spinner R Ashwin proposed a surprising change to the ODI batting lineup, suggesting a new role for Virat Kohli. Ashwin put forward the idea of pairing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as the opening batsmen in the 50-over format until the 2027 ODI World Cup.

R Ashwin on Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma-Shubman Gill
R Ashwin suggested Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to open in ODIs, leaving out Shubman Gill. (via Crictracker)

Days after the Men in Blues’ T20 World Cup triumph, Ashwin picked the players whom he feels could make it to the Indian ODI setup leading up to the WC. He first talked about including both Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer in the playing XI.

For Kohli, the retired spinner hoped for the 37-year-old to be given the role of an opener, something that he does only in T20s, leaving Gaikwad to occupy his no.3 slot. Ashwin said on his YouTube channel:

You will be playing ODI World Cup in 2027. Shreyas Iyer plays at no.4 while the management can also try Ruturaj Gaikwad. I don’t know who will open but, why not Virat [Kohli]… If he can open the batting, Ruturaj and Shreyas can also come into the mix.

Ashwin’s prediction effectively leaves out India’s ODI captain, Shubman Gill. The right-handed batter did not find a place for himself in the Indian T20I team that won the World Cup earlier this month. He is, however, a mainstay in the 50-over side, having played a total of 61 ODIs so far. Gill has scored 2,953 runs in those matches, striking at an average of 55.72, including 17 fifties and eight centuries. 

Shubman Gill’s tenure as India’s captain is being scrutinized due to his limited success. Apart from a 2-1 ODI series win against South Africa and a 2-0 Test series win against the West Indies, Gill’s captaincy has seen the team lose two other ODI series and a home Test series.

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