New Delhi: Hardik Pandya endured a difficult couple of weeks during the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 earlier this year as he was constantly booed by fans after replacing Rohit Sharma as the captain of Mumbai Indians (MI). Hardik took over the reins from Rohit after returning to MI from his former team Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2024.
However, Pandya was made to feel far from welcomed by the fans of the five-time champions, who jeered him and booed him at every stadium Mumbai Indians played at during the initial phase of the season. Pandya also had to face abuse on social media and the backlash increased after MI made a poor start to the season.
Hardik’s Mumbai Indians and India teammate Jasprit Bumrah recently opened up on the episode and said the team was firmly behind the skipper during the tough times. The premier pacer said Mumbai Indians as a team don’t encourage such behaviour but the players could do little in the situation which was beyond their control.
“You have to take it on your chin. That’s where the inner circle comes in. We, as a team, don’t encourage that, we don’t promote that. We don’t think that’s warranted,” Bumrah told The Indian Express.
“We were with him (Hardik), talking to him, if he needed support. Certain things are beyond your control. If it happened, it happened,” he added.
Boos turned into cheers for Hardik Pandya
Despite Mumbai Indians enduring a disastrous season in IPL 2024 where they finished at the bottom of the table, the jeers for Hardik reduced as the tournament progressed. Things changed completely during the T20 World Cup 2024 where Hardik’s impressive performances helped India lift the elusive trophy after beating South Africa in the final.
From being booed by his countrymen in his own country, Hardik was cheered on by millions as he bowled crucial overs in the death against the Proteas in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024. Hardik recorded excellent figures of 3/20 and picked up the important wickets of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller in the final to turn the match in India’s favour.
Bumrah insisted on how the narrative changed after India won the T20 World Cup 2024 title and said it is part and parcel of the game. “The narrative just changed, when we won the World Cup. This is part of the journey. It’s us against the world. We will try to give as much support as we can,” said Bumrah.
Mumbai Indians pacer Jasprit Bumrah recently shared his thoughts on Hardik Pandya getting booed by the fans at the stadiums during IPL 2024. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
