IPL 2024: Hardik Pandya Left Alone in Dugout by Mumbai Indians Teammates After Defeat to Rajasthan Royals
Hardik Pandya was spotted sitting alone in Dugout after defeat against Rajasthan Royals.
Mumbai Indians, the five-time champions, are going through a tough time alongside their new captain Hardik Pandya, for whom the situation is even worse as he has been subjected to boos and ridicule wherever he goes.
It all started in Ahmedabad, where he played his first game as the regular captain of Mumbai Indians against his former team, Gujarat Titans. The Ahmedabad crowd booed him, hurled casteist slurs, and abused him throughout the game.
Later, Hardik Pandya found no relief, even in Hyderabad, where he was once again booed by the crowd. People celebrated his dismissal and chanted the name of their former captain Rohit Sharma in his face as he walked to the dressing room.
The situation hasn’t improved as Mumbai Indians fans at Wankhede Stadium gave a cold treatment to Hardik Pandya, booing him during the toss. It was so bad that even the cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar had to ask the crowd to ‘behave’ during the toss.
Tension Mounts Within Mumbai Indians Squad
Notably, all of this suggests one thing: fans are not happy with Hardik Pandya taking over as captain of Mumbai Indians, replacing their former captain Rohit Sharma, who led the team to 5 IPL titles.
Furthermore, it has been speculated and reported that everything is not fine between the team and Hardik Pandya, as the team appears divided, with some supporting Rohit Sharma and others siding with Hardik Pandya.
This was evident on Monday, April 1, after Mumbai Indians suffered their third consecutive defeat in IPL 2024. The Mumbai players left Hardik Pandya alone in the dugout and went to the pavilion after the handshake ceremony with the opposition team.
