Mumbai Indians (MI) have found themselves in a rut in the early stages of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, suffering their third consecutive defeat, with the latest loss inflicted by the Rajasthan Royals (RR). The transition to Hardik Pandya as captain, following Rohit Sharma’s tenure, has been fraught with challenges, exacerbated by hostile crowd behaviour directed towards Pandya in every match.
Despite their illustrious history as five-time champions, Mumbai Indians have struggled under Pandya’s leadership, leading to widespread criticism from fans and pundits alike. The unexpected booing of Pandya by Indian fans has raised eyebrows across the cricketing world, with former England captain Michael Vaughan expressing his disbelief at the unusual turn of events.
Michael Vaughan shared his astonishment on the Club Prairie Fire podcast, saying, “The big debate is whether Rohit Sharma will end up back as captain. That has caused a lot of drama here in India. The booing, I have to say, the Indian crowd just loves cricket. I have never heard them boo. I’ve certainly never heard them boo one of their own.”
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Reflecting on Pandya’s reception, Michael Vaughan continued, “But for him to go to Hyderabad and get booed and then come to Wankhede and get booed by the Mumbai Indians fans while he is playing for them, I’m staggered by it. I have never seen the Indian crowd boo one of their own. It’s remarkable.”
Adam Gilchrist, also on the podcast, speculated on the underlying reasons behind the crowd’s hostile reaction towards Pandya, attributing it to the revered status of Rohit Sharma within Indian cricket circles.
“It shows you the status that Rohit Sharma has in the game there. The mysterious manner with which it all played out initially, the pace with which it happened, everyone was stunned with Mumbai getting Hardik Pandya away from Gujarat and then Rohit relinquishing captaincy,” Adam Gilchrist remarked. “It’s an odd one. But this is the nature of the beast in the IPL. The tribalism and intensity within fan bases. It’s hard to replicate anywhere else with that level of intensity.”
Drawing from his own experience, Adam Gilchrist recounted his debut, where he faced similar hostility for replacing Ian Healy. He empathized with Pandya, saying, “I got hammered on to the field. And all the way off. So I know what (Hardik) feels like, I will just get on to Hardik, and I will get him through.”
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Michael Vaughan humorously suggested involving Adam Gilchrist in assisting Pandya, to which Gilchrist responded positively, offering his support as the “boo whisperer.” He expressed his willingness to reach out to Pandya and extend assistance in navigating through these challenging times.
As MI grapples with its current predicament, the support from seasoned veterans like Gilchrist and Vaughan may offer Pandya and the team a much-needed morale boost as they seek to turn their fortunes around in the IPL 2024 season.
