Rohit Sharma stepped in to prevent the Mumbai crowd from booing their own captain, Hardik Pandya, after the 5-time champions suffered a heavy defeat against Rajasthan Royals in an IPL 2024 match at Wankhede Stadium on Monday. While positioned deep in the field, Rohit was seen gesturing towards the crowd, urging them to ease off and give Hardik a break, considering his challenging beginning as the team’s captain.
Our Rohit Sharma asking the crowd to stop the boo..Even He is Not Happy with it..so Please stop pic.twitter.com/MZwnRfe823
— Mumbai Indians TN (@MumbaiIndiansTN) April 1, 2024
Hardik Pandya received a chilly reception from the Ahmedabad crowd during Mumbai’s IPL 2024 opener at the Narendra Modi Stadium, and he faced similar treatment in Hyderabad during a record-breaking match against the SunRisers. However, there were expectations for a different atmosphere at the Wankhede Stadium, known for its unwavering support for the Mumbai Indians over the years in the IPL. Surprisingly, the Wankhede crowd turned against Hardik Pandya right from the coin toss, booing their captain loudly. The intensity of the boos prompted broadcaster Sanjay Manjrekar to intervene and urge the crowd to “behave.”
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While not as direct as Sanjay Manjrekar, Rohit Sharma conveyed a similar message to the home crowd, urging them to support Hardik Pandya, who has been facing immense pressure in the new season. Television cameras captured the former captain signaling to the crowd while fielding along the boundary line, even as Rajasthan easily chased down their target of 126 runs.
Hardik Pandya endured a challenging evening as Mumbai suffered one of their most disappointing losses at home. They could only manage a meager total of 125 runs. This allowed Rajasthan to comfortably chase down the target in just 15.3 overs. Although Hardik Pandya top-scored with a brisk 34 off 21 balls, he lacked support from his teammates, with Trent Boult and Yuzvendra Chahal claiming a total of 6 wickets between them.
Also Read: IPL 2024: Rajasthan Bowlers Bamboozle Mumbai, Restrict Them To 125/9
