IPL 2026: Suryakumar Yadav’s social media clearout fuels MI exit rumours

Suryakumar Yadav has had a tough few weeks, coming off the back of a bleak season with the bat to losing his spot in the Indian T20I side, along with his captaincy duties to Mumbai domestic teammate Shreyas Iyer.

But, piling on to the misery, it was revealed in a recent development on the morning of Monday, June 8, when fans were unable to find a single picture related to the Mumbai Indians on Suryakumar’s Instagram profile. The sole photo in relation to MI that the batter had on his Instagram account was one alongside Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni, two of the biggest stalwarts of the IPL and Indian cricket. 

It was also noticed that the player had unfollowed the team on Instagram. It was later clarified that the team follows the player, but the nature of the incident triggered widespread discourse on whether an exit was on the cards.

Talks of a major shake-up have been prominent in the news over the past few weeks since the culmination of the 2026 season. It was reported by multiple sources that Hardik Pandya, who has been the captain of the team since 2024, is set to be removed from the franchise following two of three dismal seasons. Now, with signs of Suryakumar’s speculated split, the franchise is possibly heading towards a major shakeup.

Suryakumar has been with the five-time champions since 2018, joining the side from the Kolkata Knight Riders. He has been a vital cog in their system, scoring 3,972 runs in 123 innings at a strike rate of 151.5. He has contributed significantly to the team in their last two title triumphs in 2019 and 2020 and has been their batting talisman in the years since.

In 2025, he broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most runs in a season by an MI batter, with 717 runs at a strike rate of 167.91. 2026, though, had not been kind to the batter, as he scored just 270 runs at a strike rate of 147.54.

The Mumbai Indians finished ninth on the points table in IPL 2026, picking up just eight points from fourteen games and recording just four wins.