Former India captain Sourav Ganguly criticized the fans for booing Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya, stating that it’s unfair to blame the player for replacing the beloved Rohit Sharma, who led the team in previous seasons.
Pandya faced backlash from fans ever since Mumbai Indians announced him as the captain of the five-time champions. He was booed during the first game he played as MI skipper, even at his previous franchise’s home ground in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans.
The negative reception continued when Pandya played against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad, and surprisingly, he was also booed during Mumbai Indians’ first home match of the season against Rajasthan Royals.
Expressing his disapproval, Ganguly addressed the media during Delhi Capitals’ training session at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, saying, “I don’t think they should boo Hardik Pandya. It’s not correct. The franchise has appointed him as captain. That’s what happens in sport.”
“He’s been appointed captain. Obviously, with Rohit Sharma, he’s a different class. His performance for this franchise, his performance for India has been at a different level as captain and as a player,” Ganguly, the Director of Cricket for Delhi Capitals, added. “But then it’s not Hardik’s fault that he’s been appointed as captain. All of us need to understand that.”
