Gujarat Titans under Hardik Pandya were the runners-up in the 2023 season and winners in the 2022 season. Under Hardik Pandya, Gujarat Titans won the title in their debut season.
So, how did Hardik Pandya become a villain overnight?
Introduction
Mumbai Indians fans are one of the most hardwired cricket fans in the IPL and the team has delivered 5 IPL titles and is considered one of the best teams in IPL history under the leadership of Rohit Sharma.
The move from a new successful IPL team, Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians has also not gone down well with the
Gujarat Titan’s fans who felt betrayed after their captain took the transfer call.
Unlike Mumbai Indians fans, Gujarat Fans have a reason to be disappointed as the move from Gujarat Titan was Hardik’s call.
Rohit Sharma probably the most loved Mumbai Indians player was replaced by Hardik Pandya in a hush-hush secret transfer deal to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans.
Hardik Pandya being appointed as Mumbai Indians captain was a call taken by MI owners and management. So why are the fans vilifying the new captain?
A key member of the Indian limited-over squad, he has now become the biggest villain of Indian cricket fans.
Captain Rohit Sharma had a poor three seasons of IPL after the Mega Auction which saw the five-time winner sitting in the bottom of the point table in the 2022 season. While the 2023 season saw Mumbai Indians doing well, MI management would have started thinking of a change in leadership.
What followed was a case of poorly managed PR and a complete breakdown of internal communications between players and the management.
Hardik Pandya‘s credential as a captain comes with flying colors after 2 successful seasons with the Titans. But was Mumbai Indians ready to accept Hardik as their captain when 2 available successors were in waiting, Jaspreet Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav.
Another reason for fans to be irked by the move was that Rohit Sharma was (as per reports) kept in the dark and so were the fans and team members about the change in guard.
Rohit Sharma also had lost the transfer window period if he wanted to entertain any thought of a franchise transfer. Many teams in the IPL were looking for a captain. Rohit Sharma would have been a great pick.
Hardik Pandya – The In-Your Face Cricketer
Hardik Pandya will never win a prize for humbleness or modesty. He is an in-your-face player and often has a history of rubbing people in the wrong way. Even In Gujarat Titans, there was an on-field incident with senior team member Mohammad Shami. The camera caught Hardik giving a mouth-full to the Indian veteran pacer during a fielding error.
Hardik Pandya was also not popular amongst cricket purists preferring to not play the long format game.
His misogynistic comments in a TV show few years back ended him serving a ban.
Hardik came back into the India white ball squad after a long injury layoff and was out of international cricket for almost a year. His fragile body again gave away in the recently concluded World Cup leaving the Indian team without his service for the entire tournament.
The emotional Mumbai fans are yet to come to terms with Hardik at the helm.
When Hardik Pandya came to crease, everyone started Booing at him. 😭pic.twitter.com/U4cNk1tqkz
— Selfless⁴⁵ (@SelflessCricket) March 25, 2024
Fans have stooped to a new low with profanities and derogatory terms used for Hardik on social media.
In the first Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans clash, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the hostility of 90,000 people towards the new Mumbai captain was visible, a venue where two years ago the fans cheered for their GT captain.
While hostilities will remain, such is the nature of franchise sports, time should be a healer.
As mentioned, the body language and the in-your-face attitude are a complete contrast to the soft and happy-go-lucky attitude of Rohit Sharma, a trait Mumbai Fans have been used to for the past 11 years.
Rohit’s poor IPL batting form a reason
Rohit Sharma the captain overshadowed Rohit Sharma the batsman which is his core play area. Rohit Sharma’s batting form in the last 2 IPL seasons have been poor which would have prompted the decision.
If the decision to rope in Hardik had been made after the recently concluded World Cup, things would have been different with Rohit Sharma being one of the players of the tournament with his swashbuckling starts in almost all games till the finals. An in-form Rohit Sharma would have forced the MI management to rethink their decision.
Rational behind the Management call
Rohit Sharma has two to three years to give to the IPL, but as an MI Captain, time was running out after 3 seasons of failure. Having Hardik Pandya as a captain before the mega auction next year makes it a sound decision in the long run.
Is Hardik Backlash Unfair?
Two seasons back Hardik Pandya was an integral part of the Mumbai Indians camp and helped the Mumbai Franchise win IPL trophies.
Mumbai Indians made Hardik Pandya the player he is today. He now has returned to the franchise where his career started.
While such transfers are very common in franchise sports, especially in football, it will take some time for cricket fans to come to terms with franchise cricket.
The decision to bring Hardik Pandya would have been taken after careful consideration and with the expectation of a mega auction after this season.
The same fans booing at the Mumbai Indians captain will root for the allrounder when India stakes claim at the T20 World Cup event immediately after the IPL.
There is no denying, Hardik Pandya brings balance to the Indian side especially when he is fit and can bowl his 4 overs. He probably becomes the most important player in the playing eleven.
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