For the couple of weeks a popular Indian cricket player has been facing criticism, from fans in crowded stadiums all over the country.
Hardik Pandya, who leads the Mumbai Indians team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) which is known as the worlds cricket tournament has been experiencing disapproval from spectators during matches in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and even at his home ground in Mumbai.
After being traded from his team Gujarat Titans Pandya took over as captain of the Mumbai Indians for the 2024 IPL season, which kicked off on 23rd March. The 30 year old all rounder who specializes in seam bowling had previously been part of four championship winning campaigns under Rohit Sharmas leadership at Mumbai Indians during his seven seasons until 2021.
The decision to move to Mumbai came as a surprise to many. The franchise has a legacy of captains. Pandya becoming captain marks the leader for Mumbai since its establishment in 2008 following legends, like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Rohit Sharma.
However loyal Mumbai supporters are not taking this change lightly. They believe that Sharma. Who shares the title of captain with MS Dhoni. Should not have relinquished his post and feel that Pandya has taken his place. Their discontent is evident as they express their sentiments towards Pandya.The Mumbai team captain faced a crowd reception week in Ahmedabad when playing against his former team, Gujarat Titans. He had led them to IPL finals, including the 2022 victory. The boos continued as Mumbai played against Sunrisers Hyderabad, in Hyderabad.
During Mumbais home game against Rajasthan Royals at Wankhede Stadium on Monday night Pandya received jeers from the fans during the toss. Commentator Sanjay Manjrekar had to intervene and urge the crowds to show behavior.
However the crowd remained unsatisfied. They booed again when Pandya missed a catch and their jeers only turned into applause briefly when he hit some boundaries. Adding to the disappointment was Royals victory marking Mumbais defeat.
Ravichandran Ashwin, the spin maestro playing for Rajasthan Royals criticized the crowd for their behavior. Attributed it to Indias “fan wars” as the reason, behind Pandya being targeted.
Ashwin stated on his YouTube channel; “People must remember that these players represent our country. Fan rivalries should never escalate to negativity.”Ashwin mentioned past scenarios where renowned cricket stars, like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid played under each others leadership without facing backlash from fans.
“Sourav Ganguly took the field under Sachin Tendulkars captaincy and vice versa. Both of them also played under Rahul Dravid. The trio had the experience of playing under Anil Kumble and all of them were part of MS Dhonis team. During their time with Dhoni these players were considered cricket giants. Dhoni himself played under Virat Kohli.”
Ashwin also questioned whether similar fan conflicts occur in cricketing nations.
“Have you observed clashes between Joe Root and Zak Crawley fans?. Disputes between supporters of Joe Root and Jos Buttler? It’s quite intense. How about Steven Smith fans versus Pat Cummins enthusiasts, in Australia?”
Rajasthan Royals fast bowler Trent Boult lent his support to Pandya, a teammate advising him to ignore distractions.
“As athletes dealing with pressures is part of the job. You have to tune out noise and focus on your performance; its easier said than done ” expressed the New Zealand paceman during a media interaction.
Fans, on platforms like Reddit and X are expressing their views freely suggesting that cricketers are too sensitive. They argue that if players welcome praise they should also be open to criticism, including jeers.
Sports journalist Sharda Ugra remarked that the booing of Pandya was quite unusual.
Rohit Sharma from Mumbai Indians was seen batting during the IPL Eliminator match between Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians at MA Chidambaram Stadium on May 24 2023 in Chennai, India.
“You’ve seen players getting booed by the crowds at venues. This sustained manner… From one stadium to another and then even, at his home ground… It’s quite rare ” says Ugra, a cricket writer since 1989.
“I believe social media plays a role. It seems like a trend that continues at every Mumbai Indians game ” she adds.
Many feel that Mumbai and Pandya made things worse by not providing answers when asked about the captaincy change.
During a season press event streamed live on YouTube, Pandya was questioned about a captaincy clause” in his contract after moving from Gujarat to Mumbai.
He stayed quiet, with a demeanor forcing the moderator to shift to the next question.
Likewise when journalists questioned head coach Mark Boucher about the teams choice to make Pandya captain of Sharma this season Boucher also chose to remain silent.
It remains to be seen if fans will embrace Pandya and fully support him. Surely if he starts playing and leads his team to victories the criticisms are expected to turn into cheers.
