Watch: Hardik Pandya meets CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan, video fuels IPL 2027 trade speculation

An exchange between Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya and Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan has taken the internet by storm.

On May 2, MI had lost to CSK by 8 wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The loss had ended MI's playoffs hopes in IPL 2026.

Pandya and Viswanathan were seen talking to each other after the match in a viral video.

Mumbai Indians nearly eliminated after loss to CSK

Hardik Pandya's decision to win the toss and bat first backfired hard. Will Jacks was out in the second over, but Ryan Rickelton and Naman Dhir got starts. Rickelton was unable to convert his start, but Dhir went on to fifty.

Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, and Jamie Overton then put the brakes on MI as their middle order imploded. Pandya himself made a painstaking 18 runs from 23 balls as MI managed just 159/7 in their 20 overs.

Fifties from Ruturaj Gaikwad and Kartik Sharma took CSK to an easy win. The loss has practically eliminated Hardik Pandya's men from playoffs contention in this year's IPL.

Hardik Pandya's meeting with Viswanathan sparks discussions

After the match, Pandya was seen shaking hands and laughing around with Viswanathan near the boundary ropes in the viral video.

IS IT HAPPENING GUYS?😮

Hardik Pandya to CSK 💛🥳 https://t.co/2QMx1tmyKU

— Terminator (@OG_Terminator) May 3, 2026

The incident has now sent fans into a tizzy, with many wondering whether Pandya could leave the Mumbai Indians for CSK in IPL 2027.

Netizens have referenced previous incidents involving Viswanathan and other players as a reference for this speculation. Last year, Viswanathan was seen involved in a lengthy chat with Sanju Samson after a match.

Samson was the Rajasthan Royals' captain at the time, but joined CSK this year after being traded in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.

Also Read: "Not the season": Hardik Pandya hints at MI’s early exit after CSK defeat in IPL 2026

Mumbai Indians and Pandya's poor form

The Mumbai Indians are ninth on the IPL 2026 points table with just 2 wins in nine matches. Their current losing streak has extended to three matches, and they have already had a four-match losing streak this year.

The poor form of stalwarts like Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah has contributed to MI being unable to perform as a unit.

Rohit Sharma's ongoing injury has only added to MI's woes. All of this has put immense pressure on the MI setup.

Captain Pandya has had to bear the brunt of most of MI's poor performances with his captaincy under the scanner. Pandya had left the Gujarat Titans and arrived at the Mumbai Indians to take over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma.

MI's next match

Ninth-placed Mumbai Indians will take on tenth-placed Lucknow Super Giants in their next match. On May 4, the two teams will play at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

LSG are currently on a five-match losing streak, and both teams have barely anything to lose in this tournament. Another loss would confirmedly eliminate both teams from playoffs contention this year.