Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has voiced his support for Hardik Pandya amidst the criticism the Mumbai Indians skipper has been receiving from cricket fans during the Indian Premier League. Pandya has faced scrutiny since assuming the captaincy of Mumbai Indians upon his return to the franchise after a two-year absence.
The loyal Mumbai Indians fans expressed their dissatisfaction with the management’s decision to remove Rohit Sharma, who led the team to five IPL titles. Consequently, Hardik Pandya faced booing from spectators in the last three matches, including at the team’s home venue, the Wankhede Stadium.
Hardik Pandya Receives Strong Support From Ravi Shastri
Mumbai’s poor start to the season has compounded the challenges for Hardik Pandya, as the team has failed to win any matches so far. They currently sit at the bottom of the table with three losses in as many games.
Shastri, known for his outspoken nature, has voiced support for Mumbai Indians and Hardik Pandya. He urged fans to show restraint towards the all-rounder, highlighting that excessive criticism could impact his mental well-being.
“You have supported the team over the years. In just 2-3 matches, they won’t be a bad team. They are 5-time champions, after all, they have a new captain. Just be patient, you know the bloke you’re getting after is a human being like you. At the end of the day, he has to sleep in the night. So just think about it, be calm,” Ravi Shastri told Star Sports.
Further, the former India head coach advised Pandya to stay composed and patient, assuring him that the situation would improve once Mumbai Indians started winning matches. He added:
“My thing to Hardik would be ‘calm, patient, ignore and then just focus on your game’. You get a couple of performances going..they are a terrific side, if they win 3-4 matches, everything will subside. You will, things will change,”
Meanwhile, Shastri didn’t solely blame the management at MI for replacing Rohit and mentioned that they had the right to choose their team’s captain. He said:
“See, at the end of the day, this is not an Indian cricket team that is playing. This is franchise cricket. They have paid top dollar, they are the bosses. It’s their entitlement as to who they want as captain,”
He added: “Where I think this could have been handled better is more clarity in communication. If you wanted as captain, say you’re looking at the future, looking to build, we are doing a fabulous job as every one knows and we want him to help out Hardik in the next 3 years when the team is in progress. That communication should have come out a little more for all this to die down. It’s not a case of you saying ‘we don’t want Rohit Sharma’, or he was treated badly,”
Pandya has faced criticism on social media with hateful comments and derogatory remarks, as noted by Shastri. Talking about the same, Shastri said:
“You know social media. All sorts of things will come out, there are a lot of bullcrap out there. Some of the stories out there are planted. It’s just planted on other people’s names. Ignorance is bliss,”
