During the toss for the 14th match of the IPL, things got heated when the Mumbai Indians’ new captain, Hardik Pandya, was booed by the home crowd. Commentator Sanjay Manjrekar had to intervene, asking the audience to “behave.”
In his words “Match number 14 in Tata IPL 2024 and we are all set for the toss” and then he introduces Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandiya, “big round of applause ladies and gentlemen, behave”.
🚨 Toss 🚨@rajasthanroyals win the toss and elect to bowl against @mipaltan #TATAIPL | #MIvRR pic.twitter.com/pziDfHNIci
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 1, 2024
Pandya Receives Support from Fellow Cricketers
Despite the jeers, Pandya received support from former players like Steve Smith and Trent Boult. Boult acknowledged the difficulty of ignoring criticism but advised Pandya to focus on the game.
“It is something you cannot control, as professional sportspeople it is what you are exposed to in a way. You have to block out the white noise and focus on the job, (but) it is easier said than done”, said Boult
MI Loses Third Consecutive Match
Unfortunately, the positive vibes from his colleagues couldn’t translate into a win. Mumbai Indians fell short once again, losing to the Rajasthan Royals by six wickets.
MI failed to register their first win of the season for the third time as they went down to the Royals at their own home ground. Royals bowlers – Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, demolished the MI batting line-up to bowl them to 125, where RR batters cantered their way to a six-wicket win.
Rohit Sharma Reportedly Displeased with Crowd Behavior
It was seen even Rohit Sharma was asking the crowd to stop the boing, it seems he was not happy with the crowd’s behavior.
Ashwin Calls for Respectful Fan Culture
Legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin weighed in on the incident, criticizing the “cinema culture” of fan wars. He emphasized that fans should support all Indian players, regardless of their team affiliation. Ashwin used examples from other countries where fans cheer for their national team players, highlighting the need for a more respectful atmosphere.
“Neither has any role to play in it. I think it is the responsibility and onus of the fans.. Fan wars are turning so ugly. It is very sad to point where in our comments section, people talk on Kohli and Dhoni. They’re both legends. They’re Indian team legends.” said Ashiwn
