Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya has been in the news for all the wrong reasons ever since the start of the team's campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Pandya faced a backlash from MI fans for replacing Rohit Sharma as a captain.
Hardik Pandya received a hostile reception from the crowd in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad as he was booed during the toss and also subjected to jeers throughout the match. To make it worse, the all-rounder didn't have a good start to start to his captaincy debut with Mumbai Indians as the five-time IPL champions lost to two back to back of the ongoing IPL season.
The fans and analysts have been closely monitoring and watching every move of Hardik Pandya on the field. Even off the field, Pandya cannot escape from the scrutiny. In a video went viral on social media, Hardik Pandya was seen seemingly refusing to shake hand with Lasith Malinga and shoved him away after Mumbai Indians defeat to SunRisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad.
Another video featuring MI skipper Hardik Pandya and bowling coach Lasith Malinga also went viral on social media. In the video, the all-rounder was seen standing when batting coach offered a sit to him. However, Malinga stood up and gave a seat to Hardik Pandya.
Hardik Pandya's behaviour and attitude have been heavily scrutnized by the fans ever since his walked out of the field as the new Mumbai Indians captain in IPL 2024. The recent videos of alleged rift between Hardik Pandya and Lasith Malinga sparked anger and outrage among the fans, saying that all-rounder was disrespecting former Sri Lanka pace bowling legend. He was also slammed for his change in attitude after becoming MI captain.
Here's how netizens react to Hardik Pandya's behaviour
Hardik Pandya's captaincy was questioned after Mumbai Indians' thrashing defeat against SunRisers Hyderabad. The experts questioned the all-rounder for not bringing Jasprit Bumrah into the attack when Heinrich Klassen (80*) and Aiden Markram (42*) were going brutal on the MI bowling attack.
Pandya had a forgettable outing not just as a captain but as a player as well. With the ball, he picked a wicket while conceding 46 runs with an economy rate of 11.50 in four overs and with the, Hardik scored just 24 off 20 balls at a strike rate of 120.
Hardik Pandya will be scrutinized by Mumbaikars when Mumbai Indians take on Rajasthan Royals on April 1, Monday at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
