Hardik Pandya might have had the full support from Mumbai Indians fans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, but one can never forget the sorry state the all-rounder had to endure in the 2024 edition of the tournament. The 31-year-old was traded from the Gujarat Titans to the Mumbai Indians, and months later, he was announced as the captain of the five-time champions as he took over the reins from Rohit Sharma. Clearly, this didn’t sit well with the fans of the franchise, and Hardik was booed all around the country.
Rajeev Shukla, the current vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has revealed that the body reached out to Hardik when he was having a torrid time in the IPL.
He stated that Hardik always knew that he would be subjected to rowdy behaviour from the crowd as he took over captaincy from Rohit Sharma, fondly known as ‘Mumbai Cha Raja’.
Hardik was first booed at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. However, one expected that to happen as the star player made the switch from Gujarat to Mumbai. However, the most hostile reception was in store when he arrived at the Wankhede Stadium to take on the Rajasthan Royals.
As soon as Sanjay Manjrekar took Hardik Pandya’s name at the toss, a ring of boos echoed around the uber-popular venue in Mumbai. The reception was so hostile that Manjrekar had to step in, asking the crowd to “behave.”
“When such incidents happen, people within the BCCI do reach out to players not to worry. In Hardik’s case, Rohit Sharma’s fan base did not like it. But the matter is done. Neither did Rohit Sharma provoke anybody, and Hardik always knew this could happen and was mature,” Shukla said in an interview on the official YouTube handle of the UPT20 league.
“He did not let it affect him. He did not get emotionally carried away. Then, when you start performing, fans start applauding by themselves again,” he added.
Throughout the IPL 2024 edition, Hardik was subjected to a hard time. To make matters worse, the five-time champions finished at the bottom of the points table as well. Hardik was also unable to step up with both bat and ball.
However, things changed for the all-rounder in the T20 World Cup, where he helped India defeat South Africa in the final at Barbados. Hardik bowled the crucial final over, taking the key wicket of David Miller.
After India’s win, Hardik choked up and was seen in tears. Once the team landed in Mumbai, the all-rounder walked out of the airport with the trophy in his hand, and the crowd couldn’t stop cheering.
This once again started the love affair of Hardik with Mumbai Indians fans, and the supporters were fully behind him in the IPL 2025 season.
