Chennai Super Kings failed to qualify for the playoffs for third IPL season in a row.
CSK was eliminated from the IPL 2026 playoff race after losing their final league-stage match against the Gujarat Titans, marking the third consecutive season in which the five-time winners failed to advance past the league round.
On Monday, hours after the Mumbai Indians, who were already eliminated, suffered their tenth defeat, a 30-run loss to the Rajasthan Royals at Wankhede Stadium, Hardik posted an Instagram story that sparked widespread conjecture online.
Many fans speculated that the "07:07" timestamp on his phone in the post alluded to a probable move to CSK, while others thought the pink color motif pointed to the Rajasthan Royals.
It's interesting to note that Hardik had nothing to do with Ashwin’s post on X at first. After an injury-plagued IPL 2026 season in which the Sri Lankan pacer made just one appearance before suffering another setback, Ashwin was asked by a fan if CSK could target Matheesha Pathirana for the IPL 2027 season if Kolkata Knight Riders released him.
After agreeing, Ashwin went on to discuss how he thought CSK's team might be strengthened. He didn’t directly name Hardik Pandya, but used the “07:07”, suggesting another middle-order hitter to aid Shivam Dube.
Interestingly, Ashwin also named Ben Stokes as someone CSK should target in the IPL 2027 auction, as the England superstar brings balance to the side alongside Jamie Overton.
“Pathirana, 07:07 & Stokes! Opening, Dube & 07:07 MiddleOrder/Finishing Overton & Stokes Balance” Ashwin posted on X.
The post immediately reignited transfer speculation across social media, with fans attempting to decode whether Ashwin was subtly hinting at Hardik joining CSK ahead of IPL 2027.
Here are some posts: