Did Mahieka Sharma Force Hardik Pandya to Skip Mumbai Indians Matches?

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya is currently injured and missed out on his team's last match against Lucknow Super Giants. Pandya, who is a key player for his team alongside being a captain, had a back spasm, which forced him to miss the game.

While there was official confirmation behind Hardik's absence, there were also speculations whether he has been dropped following his poor form in the tournament so far. In a recent set of speculations, it is being argued on social media whether Hardik Pandya has decided to miss these games due to his girlfriend, Mahieka Sharma.

Is Hardik Pandya Not Playing Because of Mahieka Sharma?

According to a recent report by Dainik Jagran, the BCCI is all set to lay down some rules and regulations regarding the players travelling with their respective girlfriends during the ongoing Indian Premier League.

The BCCI doesn't have any issues with the players' dating life but since they are constantly travelling and living with them during the league, it might result in the leak of more sensitive information. Most of these partners are popular social media influencers, which might lead to trouble.

Hardik Pandya girlfriend Mahieka Sharma is also travelling alongside him during IPL 2026 and the BCCI rules for player girlfriends might have affected this part, forcing him to miss Mumbai Indians matches. However, these are all speculations and nothing can be confirmed as of now.

The Hardik Pandya Mahieka Sharma relationship has been in the social media for quite some time now. The star Indian all-rounder has been dating his girlfriend and both have been seen with each other on numerous platforms.

Hardik Pandya's Under-Par Performance in IPL 2026

Apart from his dating life, Pandya, one of the best all-rounders in IPL, has been under-par in IPL 2026 so far. He has scored 146 runs in eight matches at an average of just 21. Even with the ball, he hasn't been at his best and has managed to pick up just 9 wickets so far.

With Mumbai Indians languishing at the bottom half of the IPL points table, Pandya has bagged a lot of criticism following his poor performances. MI, one of the best teams in IPL, haven't won the title since 2020 and it seems that their search for another trophy continues although they are not entirely out of the playoffs contention.