Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen hasn’t minced words when expressing his views on the ongoing scrutiny faced by Hardik Pandya at Mumbai Indians, especially with fans expressing their discontent through boos, notably at the Wankhede Stadium. The situation hasn’t been ideal for Pandya since assuming the captaincy mantle from Rohit Sharma, a transition that hasn’t been well-received by fans, given Sharma’s illustrious tenure that led the team to five IPL titles.
The pressure on Pandya has been palpable, both on and off the field, with fans venting their frustration not only in the stadium but also across social media platforms. The level of discontent was so noticeable that even senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had to intervene during matches to calm the crowd down.
Pietersen didn’t hold back his criticism of Pandya’s captaincy decisions during the recent MI vs CSK showdown. He particularly questioned Pandya’s reluctance to utilize spinners when the pace bowlers were being taken to the cleaners. Pietersen highlighted instances where spinners like Shreyas Gopal and Mohammad Nabi were underutilized, suggesting that Pandya failed to adapt his tactics in response to the unfolding match situation.
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In a candid assessment on Star Sports, Kevin Pietersen remarked, “What I saw this evening wasn’t good enough… You need to change the pace of the game.” He also pointed out Pandya’s demeanor, noting an excessive display of smiles at the toss and during fielding, suggesting it was a façade to mask the evident impact of fan backlash.
Drawing from personal experience, Kevin Pietersen empathized with Pandya, acknowledging the toll that public scrutiny can take on a player’s psyche. “He’s smiling too much when he does the toss, he’s trying to act like he’s so happy. He’s not happy… It affects you,” Kevin Pietersen stated, alluding to the mental toll that constant scrutiny and negative feedback can have on a player’s performance.
Kevin Pietersen emphasized the adverse effect of the boos on Pandya’s game, particularly evident during the last over against CSK, where MS Dhoni pummeled him for 20 runs off just four balls.
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“It hurts you because he has emotion and he’s an Indian player. And he doesn’t want to be treated like this. So when this is happening, it’s affecting him. It’s affecting his cricket and something needs to happen,” Kevin Pietersen concluded, urging for a resolution to alleviate Pandya’s predicament.
