Hardik Pandya has faced the wrath of the fans since taking over the captaincy of Mumbai Indians from Rohit Sharma, a fan-favourite captain who has won the IPL trophy 5 times. However, Mumbai Indians under Pandya have failed to make an impact in the 2024 IPL season, winning just 2 of their 5 matches so far and sitting 7th on the points table.
Pandya has endured the brunt of the wrath of Mumbai Indians' loyal fans, with the 29-year-old regularly being booed during IPL matches this season. While it would be expected that being subjected to the taunts by fans would make the MI captain uncomfortable, teammate Ishan Kishan suggests that Pandya is taking the challenge in his stride and may even be enjoying the fans' behaviour.
Speaking to the media after MI vs RCB clash, Kishan said, “He (Hardik Pandya) loves challenges, he has been in this situation before and he is in that situation right now. He is not someone who will come out and talk about it and say let’s stop this or that,”
“I know that he must be enjoying it. I know him personally. I have spent a lot of time with him. He is ready for the challenges because you cannot complain to the fans, they will come up with their explanations and their point of view,”
Kishan also suggested that the MI skipper could soon convert all the anger into performances which could lead to renewed support from the fans. He said, “I know that in the coming games, he will do it with the bat and people will start loving him (again),”
Notably, Pandya played a key role in Mumbai Indians' victory against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Thursday, hitting 21 runs off 6 deliveries and taking his team to a much needed 7 wicket win at the Wankhede stadium.
