On Monday’s clash between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium, former Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma was spotted trying to calm down the crowd, who were expressing their displeasure towards the current skipper, Hardik Pandya.
Pandya has been facing criticism from fans throughout IPL 2024, with incidents of booing witnessed in various matches, including those in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. Even at his home ground, Wankhede Stadium, Pandya was not spared from the ire of disappointed supporters.
In a video circulating on social media platforms, Rohit Sharma can be seen gesturing to the crowd, seemingly urging them to refrain from negative reactions towards Pandya.
The video quickly went viral, drawing attention to the ongoing tensions surrounding Pandya’s captaincy.
Rohit Sharma requesting the Wankhede crowd to stop booing Hardik Pandya ❤️🫡#MIvRRb #MIvsRR #RohitSharma #IPL2024 #HardikPandya #RRvsMI pic.twitter.com/AZzRmiUyvB
— Vikas Kumar (@VikasKu78816738) April 2, 2024
Rohit Sharma saying crowd not to boo Hardik Pandya, Just gentleman things. pic.twitter.com/xSm6cRj3BO
— Prayag (@theprayagtiwari) April 1, 2024
This man is asking crowd for not booing Mi captain Hardik pandya.
how can someone hate this man 🥺💙❤️
Man with a golden heart ❤️💙#RohitSharma #MIvRRpic.twitter.com/cJMUMleg4T— Adarsh (@Adarsh_Jha_1) April 1, 2024
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
Rohit Sharma asking the crowd to stop the boo…!!!
– Nice gesture by Hitman. 👏 pic.twitter.com/0cnRZoIC2P
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 1, 2024
During the toss, which Pandya conducted alongside Sanju Samson, the crowd’s discontent was palpable. Former Indian cricketer turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar, who was overseeing the toss, also called for the crowd to “behave” amidst the boos directed at Pandya.
Despite the efforts to pacify the crowd, Mumbai Indians suffered a defeat against Rajasthan Royals, marking their third loss of the season. The Royals’ bowlers, including Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Nandre Burger, managed to dismantle Mumbai Indians’ batting lineup, restricting them to a low total of 125 runs. Despite a valiant effort from Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma, who scored 34 and 32 runs respectively, the team couldn’t recover.
Rajasthan Royals chased down the target comfortably, with Riyan Parag’s unbeaten 54 guiding them to a six-wicket victory in just 15.3 overs. This win propelled the Royals to the top of the IPL 2024 standings.
The incident highlights the pressure and scrutiny faced by players, particularly captains, in high-profile tournaments like the IPL, where every move is closely scrutinized by passionate fans.