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Former England captain Michael Vaughan expressed surprise at the Indian crowds booing Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya so far in IPL 2024.
Hardik was traded from Gujarat Titans (GT) to MI during the off-season and was subsequently made captain, replacing Rohit Sharma. While the move was made well before the start of the 2024 IPL season, MI fans have not been receptive to it, resulting in Hardik consistently getting booed in their first three games.
Unfortunately for Hardik, MI have lost all three games so far, including their first home game against the Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Speaking on the Club Prairie Fire Podcast, Michael Vaughan was stunned by all the booing directed at the MI skipper.
"I have never seen the Indian crowd boo one of their own. It’s remarkable. The booing… I have to say, the Indian crowd just loves cricket. I have never heard them boo. I’ve certainly never heard them boo one of their own. I get the booing when he played at (Ahmedabad) against the Gujarat Titans. He’s left them and joined Mumbai. He took them to a title. So I get that in a pantomime kind of way," said Vaughan.
He added:
"But for him to go to Hyderabad and get booed and then come to Wankhede and get booed by the Mumbai Indians fans while he is playing for them, I’m staggered by it. The big debate is whether Rohit Sharma will end up back as captain. That has caused a lot of drama here in India."
Hardik's captaincy and his performances haven't lived up to the mark thus far, with the all-rounder scoring only 69 runs and picking up the lone wicket at an economy of almost 11 in three games.
Meanwhile, Rohit led MI from 2013 until last year, with the side winning a joint-record five titles under his leadership.
"It shows you the status that Rohit Sharma has in the game there" - Adam Gilchrist on fans booing Hardik Pandya
Former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist feels the crowd reception for Hardik Pandya is more of an indicator of the fanfare Rohit Sharma enjoys in Mumbai.
Gilchrist was the captain of the now-defunct Deccan Chargers side that won the IPL title in 2009, with Rohit Sharma playing a pivotal role.
On the same podcast with Michael Vaughan, Gilchrist said:
"It shows you the status that Rohit Sharma has in the game there. The mysterious manner with which it all played out initially, the pace with which it happened, everyone was stunned with Mumbai getting Hardik Pandya away from Gujarat and then Rohit relinquishing captaincy. It’s an odd one. But this is the nature of the beast in the IPL. The tribalism and intensity within fan bases. It’s hard to replicate anywhere else with that level of intensity," said Gilchrist.
Hardik Pandya is coming off two incredible seasons with GT, captaining them to the title in 2022 and finishing runners-up last year. He also led India in T20Is in Rohit's absence for most of last year until his ankle injury that kept him out of action from the middle of the 2023 World Cup till the ongoing IPL.
MI will look to resurrect their campaign when they take on the Delhi Capitals at home in their next outing on April 7.
