Hardik Pandya finds relief from unending booing as MI secures first IPL 2024 win
economictimes.indiatimes.comMumbai Indians' captain Hardik Pandya finally received some reprieve from the unending booing he had been subjected to in the last few days, during Sunday's IPL clash against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Pandya had faced hostility from crowds in previous matches at different stadiums, including Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The 29-year-old had been under scrutiny both in person and on social media after his return to Mumbai Indians as captain, replacing Rohit Sharma.
During Mumbai Indians' previous home game against Rajasthan Royals, Pandya faced continuous booing, prompting former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar to appeal to fans for restraint.
However, Sunday proved to be a different experience for Pandya. With the stands mostly filled with around 18,000 children from various NGOs in the stadium as part of the ESA day for the Reliance Foundation, cheers filled the stadium for the home team instead.
Notably, former India captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had urged fans not to boo Pandya before Sunday's match.
«I don't think they should boo Hardik Pandya. It's not correct,» Ganguly told the media during Delhi Capitals' training session on Saturday.
«The franchise has appointed him as captain. It's not Hardik's fault that he's been appointed as captain. All of us need to understand that.
»Obviously, with Rohit Sharma, he's a different class. His performance for this franchise, his performance for India has been at a different
