Hardik Pandya’s captaincy stint with Mumbai Indians hasn’t begun smoothly. Despite potentially appearing unfazed by boos and “Rohit Sharma” chants at stadiums, Pandya faces a different beast online. Social media is rife with negativity, with fans trolling his captaincy decisions, hurling abuse, and accusing him of ignoring former captain Rohit Sharma’s suggestions.
Pushing Away Malinga Adds Fuel to the Fire
Adding fuel to the fire, a video circulating on social media shows Pandya seemingly avoiding a hug from Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach, Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga, after their loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The clip depicts Pandya dodging Malinga’s embrace and opting to shake hands with opposition players and staff.
Fans also noted an earlier incident where Malinga vacated his seat in the dugout for the incoming Pandya. While assistant coach Kieron Pollard initially offered his seat, Malinga stood up and walked away. Notably, Pandya didn’t acknowledge or attempt to stop the senior pro from giving up his seat.
Fans Divided, But Pressure Mounts
While some fans criticize Pandya’s lack of respect towards Malinga, others defend it as a common practice to prioritize players in the batting lineup. However, with two consecutive losses and his own underwhelming performance with both bat and ball, the pressure on Pandya intensifies. The all-rounder needs strong on-field displays to silence the growing online negativity and potentially appease disgruntled fans.
The situation worsens as the Sunrisers Hyderabad set a record-breaking IPL total of 277 for 3 against Mumbai Indians. This dominant performance by SRH intensifies the pressure on Pandya’s struggling team. Hardik’s personal performance in both the games has also been under scrutiny as the MI skipper has not been able to deliver with the bat as well as with the ball. Furthermore, fans have also been criticizing Hardik for not making situational changes during the games, eventually costing MI wins.
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