Mumbai Indians (MI) endured one of their worst Indian Premier League seasons. The former champions finished ninth in the table with just four wins. Hardik Pandyawho led the side, was criticized during the course of the season for his captaincy—the 32-year-old sent fans into a massive meltdown with a cryptic message on his Instagram story.

Pandya had posted the numbers 07:07, which also happens to be MS Dhoni’s birthday. Fans began to connect the dots and came to the conclusion that MI and Chennai Super Kings could possibly be locked in talks for a potential trade. With his below-par performances this year, India’s all-rounder has been linked with a potential exit from the franchise.

Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin added more fuel to the fire with his cryptic message on his X handle. One fan, going by the name Madras Man, had put out a tweet which read, “If KKR decides to release Matheesha Pathirana, should CSK go for him again? To which Ashwin replied, “Pathirana, 07:07 (Pandya reference) and Stokes!”

India’s legendary spinner also wrote “Opening (tick mark emoji), Dube and Pandya middle/order and finishing, Overton and Stokes balance.” Cricket fans across India are waiting eagerly for the cryptic message and want to see if indeed the two arch-rivals could be entering into a trade deal ahead of the IPL 2027 season.

What is Hardik Pandya’s captaincy record at MI?

After the IPL 2023 season, theAmbani-owned side decided to bring in the Baroda-based star back home to the Wankhede Stadium. Rohit Sharma was then relieved of his duties as captain and replaced by Hardik at the helm. Fans didn’t appreciate this move as there were widespread protests on social media. Mumbai have failed to qualify for the playoffs twice in three years under the all-rounder’s leadership.

The former IPL winner has led the side in 33 games and has managed to win just 15 games with a win percentage of 38. Former Gujarat Titans skipper has the worst record by an MI skipper to have atleast led in 15 matches. Sachin Tendulkar has the best win percentage of 58, followed by Rohit 57% and Harbhajan Singh with 57 and 50% respectively.