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Social media users exposed Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya on X after his supporters alleged that Rohit Sharma was behind his booing inside stadiums during the franchise's matches in the current edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In a video shared by fans on the microblogging platform, Rohit Sharma could be seen calming the crowd down before requesting the audience to cheer for Hardik Pandya.
Earlier, Hardik Pandya's admirers had accused Rohit Sharma of masterminding the jeering incidents of Hardik Pandya, where fans could be seen admonishing him during the three matches Mumbai Indians have played in the IPL.
Hardik Pandya and Amb@ni PR agencies are exposed.
Watch the full video and share as much as you can.#RohitSharma #HardikPandya #MumbaiIndians pic.twitter.com/oMssN0lIpP— 🕊️ (@retiredMIfans) April 4, 2024
Previously, ex-India batter Manoj Tiwary opined that the management of the Mumbai Indians could sack Hardik Pandya midway through the tournament and reappoint Rohit Sharma as skipper if results continued to desert the side.
“It can be a clue that he is under pressure. if someone is not bowling after opening the bowling for the past three matches and that too on a pitch where the ball was swinging. There was swing in the first innings and even Mumbai Indians bowlers including (Jasprit) Bumrah produced a lot of swing. Hardik's ball would have swung as well but the welcome that he got in Mumbai put him under pressure,” Manoj Tiwari told Cricbuzz.
“I want to see something big – I have this feeling somewhere that during this break, MI may hand the captaincy back to Rohit. It is a huge call because as much as I understand the franchises and owners, they do not hesitate in taking these decisions. You started it when you took the captaincy away from Rohit and gave it to Hardik. Changing a five-time champion captain is a huge call,” he added.
“The team has no points on the board and the captaincy has also been all over the place. Not like the captaincy has been very good and they have been unlucky. There have been mistakes when it comes to captaincy,” Manoj Tiwary suggested.
During the current edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Hardik Pandya has faced a severe backlash from the fans, with the 30-year-old cricketer being jeered on by the spectators in the three matches he has captained the Mumbai Indians in the tournament.
The principal factor behind Hardik Pandya's booing has been his appointment as Mumbai Indians skipper after replacing the highly decorated Rohit Sharma, who led the team for a decade.
It is worth noting that while Rohit Sharma has been the most successful Mumbai Indians leader ever, he will be 37 later this month, and Hardik Pandya's appointment as the franchise's skipper was made looking at the future.
After all, Hardik Pandya had an extremely successful captaincy stint with Gujarat Titans, leading them to the IPL title in the franchise's maiden year in the elite league in 2022. He followed it up with another successful run in the 2023 IPL, where Gujarat Titans topped the table before losing to eventual champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the final.
Furthermore, Hardik Pandya is no stranger to Mumbai Indians, he was an important cog in the team's wheel for years – having made his IPL debut for the side in 2015.
He had an immediate and telling impact on the franchise's performance in the tournament, having helped them win the title during his debut year, which was followed by trophy-laden runs in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
But former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri, who has spent considerable time with Hardik Pandya during his stint as the coach of the national side, feels that much of Hardik Pandya's mistreatment by the supporters of the Mumbai Indians is due to the franchise's top management, including its owners – the Ambanis.
According to him, the Ambanis and head coach Mark Boucher, have failed to communicate their stance regarding the captaincy change with the public, which has not helped Hardik Pandya in any way whatsoever.
“This is not the Indian cricket team that's playing. This is franchise cricket. They have paid top dollar. They are the bosses. It's their entitlement as to who they want as captain. Okay, where I think this could have been handled better was with more clarity in communication,” Ravi Shastri said on Star Sports.
“If you wanted Hardik Pandya as captain, then say that we are looking at the future. We are looking to build. Rohit has done a fabulous job, as everyone knows, and we want him to help out Hardik in these next three years as the team progresses. At the end of the day, nothing beats results. You win matches, and things will change. There's a lot of bull crap out there as well. You know, and some of the stories are just planted. A lot of it is just planted on other people's names, including my name,” the former Team India head coach added.
“That communication, that clarity should have come out a little more for all this to die down. So it's not a case of you saying, ‘No, we don't want Rohit Sharma,' or ‘He was treated badly,' and all the things that are coming out in social media,” Ravi Shastri explained.
