Hardik Pandya | Source: X.com
This is a challenging time for Mumbai Indians’ captain Hardik Pandya, who has become the target of trolling and booing in every stadium during the ongoing IPL 2024. From Ahmedabad to Mumbai, there hasn’t been a single stadium where he hasn’t faced jeers from the crowd.
However, Hardik Pandya is unfazed; he is actually loving the fan backlash. And we are not making this up—his teammate Ishan Kishan spilled the beans after the Mumbai Indians thrashed RCB at Wankhede stadium. “He is happy with people doing it,” Ishan Kishan said.
Kishan backed up his claim by saying that once Hardik Pandya starts scoring runs, all the criticism will fade away, and everyone will move on. He also mentioned that the star all-rounder is in a good mental space despite the harsh public scrutiny.
“In the coming games, he will do (well) with the bat and people will start loving him again. Because you’re doing well and people will also recognize your hard work. What you’re going through and still what you’re doing for the team. I think people do recognise that and our fans are like that,” Ishan added.
“They can be a little harsh on you but at the same time, when you show that it isn’t bothering you, and you’re in a good head space and willing to perform well, that might change. If not today, then tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then the day after,” he concluded.
Notably, Hardik Pandya signed up with the Mumbai Indians this season with the stipulation that he would take over as captain, resulting in the management’s decision to replace the five-time title-winning skipper Rohit Sharma. This is the root cause of the fans’ discontent.
