The Mumbai Indians have been facing a rough patch lately, stirring up quite a storm in the cricket world. The controversy surrounding the replacement of Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as captain for the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season sparked a frenzy of criticism aimed at the franchise. Just when they thought things couldn’t get worse, their team’s lacklustre performance on the field only added fuel to the fire.
With three consecutive losses in the tournament so far, the recent drubbing at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad, who set a record total of 277 runs against them, further deepened MI’s woes. Amidst this turbulent period, the MI squad sought solace in Jamnagar, where they took some time off from the relentless pressure of the game.
ALSO READ: Match 19 (RR vs RCB) – 3 Player Battles To Watch Out For
While questions regarding Pandya’s captaincy prowess continued to swirl, a heartwarming video emerged from their retreat, capturing moments of camaraderie between Pandya and Sharma, offering a glimpse of unity within the team.
That’s one way to unwind and have some quality team time 🤩➡️ https://t.co/GyuukJgUDk
Catch it all on #MIDaily now, available on our website and MI app 📹💙#MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians pic.twitter.com/rwTLt8mMRi
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 5, 2024
However, Hardik Pandya has been facing relentless criticism, both on and off the field, ever since assuming the role of captain. The scepticism reached a crescendo during a league game at the Wankhede Stadium, where he was booed by the crowd.
Despite the backlash, former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri came to Hardik Pandya’s defense, urging him to stay composed and focus on delivering results. In an interview on Star Sports, Shastri emphasized the importance of ignoring external noise and concentrating on performance.
ALSO READ: Match 19 (RR vs RCB) – Playing XI And Fantasy XI Predictions
“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. So my advice to Hardik would be to be calm, patient, ignore, and just focus on your game,” he said. Ravi Shastri reiterated that victories on the field would ultimately silence the critics and bring about a positive change in the team’s fortunes.
