During IPL 2024, Hardik Pandya received a lot of criticism. The Mumbai Indians fans did not approve of his transfer from the Gujarat Titans, and the situation worsened when he was named the team’s captain. When he took over as captain, Mumbai supporters became enraged and jeered the famous all-rounder throughout the Indian Premier League, using derogatory language and racial slurs to characterise him.
Though the BCCI and the selectors were confident in his ability, there were rumours that he might not make the Indian side for the T20 World Cup. The all-rounder was their favourite, and he returned the favour by winning several games. He was outstanding with the ball even on the finals night in Barbados, as India defeated South Africa by seven runs thanks to Kensington Oval.
Former cricket player AB de Villiers thinks that Hardik Pandya has won over every MI fan’s heart after seeing how well he has performed.
He acknowledged the significant contributions the all-round player made throughout the World Cup and referred to him as a big-match performer.
The significant occasions are what catch my attention. Someone similar to Hardik Pandya, who moved from Gujarat to Mumbai and had a roller coaster of a season, could handle all the criticism he received while receiving the ball from the captain in the T20 World Cup final. De Villiers posted on his YouTube account, “At that moment, I realised that this is what I am about as a cricket player, you know what… all Indian fans out there.”
“Everyone around him was proud of him.” I have a lot of respect for that now, even if I did not want him to succeed in that way at the time. He performed just as a huge man would in a big situation. He continued, “I’m pretty sure he has secured a spot in your hearts for the future, all you Mumbai Indians fans out there who had doubts.”
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