File photo of Hardik Pandya© BCCI/Sportzpics
The captaincy change saga at Mumbai Indians is set to roll into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, with Hardik Pandya taking the baton from Rohit Sharma. As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared the schedule for the first half of the T20 league, fans started to anticipate how things would be when Hardik would play in Ahmedabad as the captain of the Mumbai Indians after his sensational trade move from Gujarat Titans. Even former India cricketer Aakash Chopra made a cheeky comment on the matter, saying the he wants Hardik to be booed by the Ahmedabad crowd.
Much has been said and written about the captaincy change saga at Mumbai Indians, with Rohit Sharma’s wife Ritika Sajdeh also giving a strong reaction to coach Mark Boucher‘s explanation of the scenario.
Hardik, since being named the MI captain, is yet to publicly speak about the subject, in relation to him replacing Rohit Sharma. Some feel even fans in Ahmedabad are upset seeing their skipper Hardik leaving the franchise. Chopra expects those fans to express their frustration on the field.
“I want Hardik Pandya to get booed in Ahmedabad. I’ll tell you why. First IPL season, Mumbai vs Kolkata. We were playing at the Wankhede Stadium. Ajit Agarkar was in our team and we had to take him off the boundary because he was Mumbai’s boy, playing against Mumbai, in Mumbai and getting booed by the Wankhede crowd. So we put him back inside the circle because it was not nice,” Chopra said on Jio Cinema as the IPL 2024 schedule was announced by the BCCI.
Chopra feels it would be fun if the fans decide to jeer Hardik.
“Now Hardik Pandya goes to Mumbai after winning the championship once, leading the team to the final the next time. And not just that but choosing to leave the franchise. If there isn’t any heartburn in the public of Ahmedabad, if they don’t feel hurt, where is the fun? I am expecting. No, I am hoping – don’t tell anyone – that Hardik goes for the toss and people go ‘Boo’. That’s where the league matures,” the former India opener added.
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