Pandya getting booed at stadiums has become a regular occurrence in the ongoing IPL season.
The loud boo did not allow Hardik to hear commentator Sanjay Manjrekar, who was conducting the toss. A section of the crowd chanted "Rohit, Rohit" as well. The hostile crowd prompted Manjrekar to ask the crowd to ‘behave.’
“MI captain Hardik Pandya. Big round of applause, ladies and gentlemen. Behave,” Manjrekar said as the fans booed Hardik, something that has become a regular occurrence in the ongoing IPL season.
“It’s quite exciting to be a part of this game. We always look forward to the future, need to follow the process. Looking forward to playing a brand of cricket everyone enjoys,” Pandya said after losing the toss.
Notably, Hardik Pandya completed a high-profile trade from Gujarat Titans (GT) to MI ahead of the IPL auction last December. Soon after the trade, he replaced five-time IPL winning skipper Rohit Sharma as the Mumbai captain.
Under Pandya’s captaincy, MI have lost their first two games in the ongoing season so far. While the five-time champions lost to GT by 6 runs in their campaign opener, they suffered a heavy 31-run defeat at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their second fixture.
Amid the losses, Pandya is also facing the wrath of Mumbai fans. During the SRH game, the all-rounder was subjected to brutal trolling, which included ‘Rohit, Rohit’ chants. He was also booed by the crowd in Ahmedabad during MI’s first match.