Although the IPL 2024 is still in its initial stage, Hardik Pandya is having a tough time while leading Mumbai Indians (MI) in the cash-rich tournament.
Hardik completed a high-profile trade from Gujarat Titans (GT) to MI ahead of the IPL auction last December. Soon after the trade, the all-rounder 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, Hardik 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.
MI’s next match is scheduled against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday (April 1). Ahead of the game, RR pacer Trent Boult has extended support for his former teammate Hardik Pandya, urging him to ignore distractions.
“It is something you cannot control, as professional sportspeople it is what you are exposed to in a way. You have to block out the white noise and focus on the job, (but) it is easier said than done," Boult told the media at the Wankhede Stadium.
Boult believes that the booing would subside over time and expressed his confidence in Pandya's ability to remain focused amidst the negativity.
“There are a lot of passionate fans in this country and speaking of Hardik specifically, he is one of my favourite Indian cricketers and I do not think the booing will hold out for too long. I am sure, he is one of those guys who can put it aside and focus on the job,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians' seasoned spinner Piyush Chawla said that the team's fortunes will turn around once they secure a victory. He also claimed that Hardik Pandya has remained unaffected by the outside noise.
"Well, that you can't really help because you know, they are a crowd and whatever they are doing is beyond our control so we can't really say what they are doing," Chawla stated.
"The way Hardik has taken it...he is just focusing on the game, he is not even worried about what the crowd is doing and once we get a win under our belt, things will be totally different."
The right-arm spinner highlighted the importance of focusing on the job at hand rather than thinking about what the fans have been doing inside the stadium.
"You get used to it, because you know, whatever is happening, whatever people are doing in the crowd, you can't really help it because it's beyond our control. We just have to focus on our game and whatever they are doing, let them do. We just have to focus on our cricket," Chawla remarked.
"At the end of the day it's about the team; it's not about the individual. I am really hoping when the crowd comes in tomorrow, they will support the team after the kind of start we had," he concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)
