Hardik Pandya of the Mumbai Indians was subjected to violent crowd behaviour against the Rajasthan Royals on Monday, April 1. It was Pandya’s first trip to his home field, Wankhede Stadium, since being named captain. At the toss, the all-round player was met with loud jeers, which prompted pundit Sanjay Manjrekar to beg the audience to be civil.
Following 3.3 overs, they were reduced to 20/4 and were eventually dismissed for 34 (21). When it looked like things couldn’t get much worse, Pandya ended up dismissing Jos Buttler at covers in the fourth over, to the sound of thunderous “boos” filling the Wankhede stadium.
The MI skipper, facing overwhelming odds, did his best to conceal his fears behind a sardonic smile and raised his hands to the heavens in prayer. After witnessing the disgusting crowd behaviour that his substitute was subjected to, former MI captain Rohit Sharma intervened on his behalf, urging the supporters to cool down while fielding on the boundary and making hand gestures.
India
