Hardik Pandya posts cryptic 07:07 Instagram story, fans link it to joining CSK in next IPL season

Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is quite an active figure on social media apart from being one of the most high-profile cricketers in the world right now. A story uploaded by the Mumbai Indians' captain on his official social media handle has sent his fans into frenzy, with a certain group of fans believing that he might be leaving his current IPL franchise to link up with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the 2027 season.

In the early hours of Monday, May 25, the cricketer posted an Instagram story, where he was seen using his laptop with his phone placed on the side. While the phone was being unused, its display was on, which showed a 07:07 timeframe on the lock screen. While 7 is a number usually associated with MS Dhoni, the iconic CSK captain with five trophies, fans wondered if Hardik would take over the chair in the upcoming season.

Check the screenshot of Hardik Pandya's Instagram story here

Notably, Hardik has had a season to forget with MI in 2026, where the franchise made an early exit from the tournament. While Hardik made only 202 runs in the entire season at an average of 22.88, his seam bowling could extract only four wickets for the five-time champions. Hardik's performances clearly are a reflection of how MI fared in 2026, with only four wins in fourteen encounters.

CSK, on the other hand, have had a similar story, albeit they were in contention for a playoffs' spot until their last league-stage game. Experts and fans heavily criticised Ruturaj Gaikwad's slow batting and loosely made leadership calls on the field. Many had even voiced for the replacement of Gaikwad as a specialist batter, while replacing someone like Sanju Samson as the wrecker-in-chief.

While a poor record has been clearly evident under Hardik's captaincy, it won't be too surprising if he is discarded as their new captain, which has been cited under popular media reports online.