Hardik Pandya deactivates his Instagram account amid immense social media criticism

Published - 27 May 2026, 18:24 IST | Updated - 27 May 2026, 18:48 IST

Star cricketer Hardik Pandya has deactivated his official Instagram handle to take some time off the social media platform. It is currently unknown whether Hardik will return to being active once again on the popular social networking app, where he enjoyed a whopping forty-six million followers from around the world.

The real reason for going off Instagram is currently unknown, but it must be noted that the star all-rounder had been facing an immense amount of criticism online after Mumbai Indians were eliminated from the Indian Premier League 2026 after having a shambolic season under his captaincy. A section of fans had also been voicing openly for his life after engagement with Mahieka Sharma, his 24-year-old fiancée.

Recently, Hardik had reportedly removed Mumbai Indians' players and the franchise from his following list on the social media app. Rumours have it that not all is fine between the cricketer and the five-time champions, with multiple reports of the cricketer parting ways with MI before the next IPL season circulating on the internet. Neither Hardik nor MI have made any official statement in this regard, though.

It is worth mentioning that the Choryasi-born enjoys a lavish life off the field and has often made headlines for his activities beyond his cricket. He has often been spotted enjoying luxury vacations, driving high-end supercars, flaunting his expensive watch collection and more. He also posts pictures of spending time with his son Agastya on a regular basis, which always keeps him active in the public eye.

After checking through other social media handles of the Indian cricketer, it can be seen that Hardik is still active on 'X', formerly known as Twitter. His status on Facebook and Threads is also active, meaning that he has not gotten off social media completely, but only from Instagram, which is a popular photo and video sharing platform.