Hardik Pandya is receiving criticism from fans as he takes charge of the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He is facing difficulties with team decisions and a slow start. The passionate supporters of the Mumbai Indians may harbour resentment towards Pandya as he replaces Rohit Sharma and leads the team against the Rajasthan Royals.
Nearly 22 years ago, a shocking incident occurred in the world of sports. During an El Clasico match at Barcelona's famous Camp Nou stadium, Luis Figo, wearing the jersey of bitter rivals Real Madrid, was targeted with a severed pig's head thrown at him. This gruesome act demonstrated the intense animosity that the fans of the Catalan team had developed towards the former Portuguese captain. Figo had previously chosen to join Real Madrid as a "Galactico" for a substantial salary of £44 million.
Although it is unlikely for the atmosphere at the Wankhede stadium on Monday night to reach such intensity, there might be a sense of discontent among fervent Mumbai Indians supporters when they see Hardik Pandya, who has taken over from Rohit Sharma, leading the team against the Rajasthan Royals in one of the most eagerly awaited IPL matches.
Recently, Pandya, who replaced Rohit as the captain of the Mumbai Indians cricket team, has faced a barrage of criticism and negativity. He has been booed by fans in the stadium, trolled on social media, and the team has had a slow start, losing both of their away games so far. Pandya's decisions, such as opening the bowling himself, holding back Jasprit Bumrah in the Powerplay, batting at a late position when the team was under pressure, and giving an IPL debut to a young South African left-arm pacer who performed poorly, have come under scrutiny.
Pandya didn't face much pressure in his first season as captain of the Titans. The team was new, he was a new captain, and expectations weren't extremely high. These factors allowed him to settle into the role comfortably, with the guidance of Ashish Nehra. Pandya excelled as captain, and his success led to him being appointed as captain of the Indian T20 team when Rohit took a break from international cricket.
However, his move to the Mumbai Indians (MI) team came with its own challenges and pressures. Fans who were still loyal to Rohit were unhappy with the decision, as they felt he was unfairly replaced. Pandya had to win over the MI supporters again, not only as a player but also as a leader. Based on the first two matches, it is clear that he still has a long way to go. Tactically, Pandya hasn't been at his best. In the first game, for example, he made a questionable decision by holding himself back during a seemingly easy run-chase, which ultimately resulted in a defeat for MI. His decision to come in at No. 7, behind Dewald Brevis and Tim David, backfired. It was puzzling that Pandya didn't take charge and face the situation head-on, especially considering Tilak Varma's attempt to protect David from Rashid Khan during the chase. His choice to bat at No. 7 was harder to understand than the decision to give the new ball to Jasprit Bumrah.
While Pandya was successful in bowling with the new ball for the Titans, Bumrah is more comfortable bowling with a slightly older ball in T20 cricket. Therefore, there may have been some merit in bringing Bumrah as the first change bowler. However, it was inexplicable that Pandya didn't bring Bumrah back for a second over until the 13th over of the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, by which time they had already scored 173 runs for the loss of three wickets. This decision was naïve and inexperienced, not just from a tactical standpoint. Even Bumrah, who is known for his exceptional performances, couldn't stop the flow of runs. However, his figures of none for 36 from four overs in a high-scoring game that produced 523 runs didn't harm Bumrah's reputation.
It remains to be seen whether Mumbai Indians will continue with the young South African pacer or bring back the English left-arm pacer Luke Wood. There is also speculation about whether they will give an IPL debut to Sri Lankan player Nuwan Thushara. Additionally, fans are curious if Mumbai left-arm spinner Shams Mulani, who finally gets a chance to play for the Mumbai Indians, will perform well at his home ground.
For Mumbai Indians to return to their winning form, Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan must regain their form. In recent IPL seasons, Rohit has shown a tendency to lose his wicket after a good start, especially against left-arm pacers. Therefore, he needs to be careful while facing Rajasthan Royals' left-arm speedsters Trent Boult and their new recruit Nandre Burger, who has been impressive.
Pandya's second phase of life in MI has been far from smooth sailing. He has struggled to perform well either as an all-rounder or as a captain/leader. Mumbai is known for starting slowly in their seasons, with their last victory in the opening game dating back to 2012. However, they cannot afford to wait any longer to secure their first points. If Pandya isn't already feeling the pressure, he should be. After all, he requested and received the captaincy, so the responsibility ultimately falls on his shoulders.
Despite the negativity surrounding him, Pandya has chosen to ignore the external noise, following Steve Smith's advice. He has been unaffected by what is being said on social media and wants his team to focus on cricket rather than worrying about the criticism he receives in stadiums. According to a source, Pandya is determined to win back the love and support of his fans by delivering a match-winning performance with either the bat or the ball, or both.