IPL 2024: Sourav Ganguly Supports Hardik, Urges Fans to Refrain from Booing

Mumbai Indians will now face Delhi Capitals on Sunday. This season is not going well for Mumbai Indians under the captaincy of Hardik. The team has lost its first three matches. The Mumbai team is the only team in the tournament that has not won a single match so far this season.

Ever since Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya took charge of the team in place of Rohit Sharma, he has been facing the anger of the fans. Hardik had to face boos from the audience not only outside but also at Mumbai’s home ground Wankhede. Mumbai Indians will now face Delhi Capitals on Sunday. Before this match, Hardik got the support of Delhi Capitals’ cricket director and former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. Ganguly has appealed to the fans not to boo Hardik.

Controversy arose over Rohit’s removal from captaincy

Even before the mini-auction for this season, Mumbai Indians traded Hardik to Gujarat. Hardik returned to the team again, but the matter worsened when the team management appointed Hardik as its captain in place of Rohit, who made Mumbai the champion five times under his captaincy. This decision astonished the audience. Rohit’s fans were angry with his removal from the captaincy. Hardik also made some mistakes during his captaincy. Due to this, Hardik is becoming a victim of booing again and again.

Ganguly issued a message to the fans

Before the match between Mumbai and Delhi at Wankhede Stadium, Ganguly issued a message to the fans regarding the misbehavior towards Hardik. Ganguly said fans should not boo Hardik. Rohit Sharma’s class is different and his performance is of a different level, but what is Hardik’s fault in this? The franchise has made him the captain.

#WATCH | On Mumbai Indians' Captain Hardik Pandya, Delhi Capitals' Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly says, "… The franchise has appointed him as captain. This is what happens in sports when you captain the country or a state… If we see Rohit Sharma, he has a different class.… pic.twitter.com/ssznBiIS3N

— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2024

Ashwin also supported Hardik

Rajasthan Royals’ veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had taken a tough class on the trolls. He scolded the continued misbehavior with Hardik. He had asked whether you had ever seen this happening in any other country. Ashwin had said, have you seen this happening in any other country? Have you seen the fans of Joe Root and Jack Crawley fighting? Or have you seen Joe Root and Jos Buttler fans fighting? this is madness. Have you seen the fans of Steve Smith and Pat Cummins fighting in Australia? I have said it many times. This is cricket. This is a cinema culture. I know there are things like marketing, positioning, and branding. I don’t deny it. I don’t believe in all this from my side but it is not wrong to be involved in it either.

Hardik has not been able to lead the team to victory till now

This season is not going well for Mumbai Indians under the captaincy of Hardik. The team has lost its first three matches. The Mumbai team is the only team in the tournament that has not won a single match so far this season and is at the bottom of the table. On the other hand, things have not been very good for Delhi. Delhi has won only one match out of four. He had to face a big defeat of 106 runs in the last match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).