Hardik Pandya just cannot catch a break and continues to be a talking point for all the wrong reasons during the ongoing IPL 2026 season. Playing his first game since May 2 after missing Mumbai Indians’ (MI) last two matches, Pandya’s comeback ended on a sour note as the MI captain was found guilty of a fresh Code of Conduct breach during the team’s loss to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Wednesday.Hardik Pandya has had a forgettable IPL 2026 with constant chatter around his form, captaincy and off field controversies.Pandya endured a double setback as MI slumped to their ninth defeat of the season, while the skipper was fined 10 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point. From poor form and injury concerns to captaincy criticism, trade rumours and now a Code of Conduct breach, Hardik Pandya’s IPL 2026 campaign has spiralled into one of the toughest phases of his career.Fine and fresh controversyAccording to the IPL, during MI’s match against KKR on Wednesday, Pandya violated Article 2.2 of the Code, which relates to abuse of cricket equipment or ground fixtures, after forcefully knocking the bails off the stumps while walking back to his run-up during the second innings. The all-rounder admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by the match referee.Off-field chatter adds to noisePandya also remained in the spotlight off the field this season amid growing attention around his relationship with actor-model Mahieka Sharma. Around the same time, reports around the BCCI tightening rules on family members and “outside influence” during IPL travel added further chatter online during Mumbai Indians’ turbulent campaign.Poor form; playoff clashMI crashed out of playoff contention very early in the tournament, suffering one of their weakest IPL campaigns in recent years, while Pandya’s own numbers with bat and ball came under scrutiny. Former cricketers Irfan Pathan and Aakash Chopra were among those who publicly questioned his form, batting approach and leadership during the season. However, he has received support from his former teammate and from the cricketing world with Ravichandran Ashwin coming out in his defense recently, “Honestly, when you have seasons like this, to pin the blame on the captain is quite unfair. Nobody has turned up. The team has failed to turn up, and for Hardik to take the blame on himself is… you’re asking him to do a little too much. He was there with the Gujarat Titans. Had two fabulous seasons. So clearly, as a leader, he did something right there,” Ashwin said on ESPNcricinfo.Strained ties with brother and injuriesPandya’s recurring back spasm issues disrupted Mumbai’s campaign, forcing him to miss multiple matches, while videos of him training in Mumbai as the team travelled for away fixtures sparked speculation online. Around the same time, social media buzzed with rumours of tension between Hardik and brother Krunal Pandya after fans noticed the two appeared distant following MI’s clash against RCB, though Krunal later dismissed the chatter, saying “all good”.Trade rumours grow louderAt the same time, rumours surrounding Pandya’s equation with the franchise intensified after reports claimed he had briefly unfollowed Mumbai Indians on Instagram following the team’s elimination. Speculation over a possible IPL 2027 trade has also surfaced, though no official confirmation has emerged so far.Hardik did not respond to our request for comment till the time of going to press