Former cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar delivered a stern message to the Mumbai crowd as they jeered Hardik Pandya during the toss at the Wankhede Stadium, urging them to “behave.” It marked a rare instance in IPL history where a commentator had to intervene due to crowd behaviour.

Hardik Pandya, captaining Mumbai Indians (MI) for the first time at home, faced criticism from a section of the crowd displeased with his captaincy, replacing the beloved Rohit Sharma. This discontent has been evident not only in Mumbai but also in other venues where fans have voiced their displeasure, notably in Ahmedabad, where Pandya led Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2022 and 2023.

Despite his success as GT’s captain, Pandya’s return to MI hasn’t resonated well with all fans. This game marked his first appearance at the Wankhede Stadium in MI colours after five years.

🚨 Toss 🚨@rajasthanroyals win the toss and elect to bowl against @mipaltan #TATAIPL | #MIvRR pic.twitter.com/pziDfHNIci

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 1, 2024

Winning the toss, Rajasthan Royals (RR) chose to bowl first, capitalizing on the potential dew factor in the second innings. RR captain Sanju Samson cited the fresh wicket and the advantage it offers to fast bowlers. He said, “We want to bowl first. The wicket looks fresh, it’s the first game of the season, will get help for the fast bowlers. We would like to keep on doing the same things. Sandeep misses out, he is not fit. Burger comes in.”

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MI’s Pandya expressed excitement about the match and emphasized the team’s commitment to playing an entertaining brand of cricket. He added, “We were planning to bowl first. It’s quite exciting to be a part of this game. We always look forward to the future, need to follow the process. Looking forward to playing a brand of cricket everyone enjoys. Playing the same team.”

RR have won both their matches so far and sit at the third spot. They will climb to the top spot with a win over MI. MI have lost both their matches and are searching for their maiden win of the season.

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Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Hardik Pandya (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal, Jasprit Bumrah, Kwena Maphaka

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Sanju Samson (Captain), Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Nandre Burger, Yuzvendra Chahal