Ravichandran Ashwin, a Team India off-spinner and Rajasthan Royals spinner, has defended Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya, who has been under fire from fans after succeeding Rohit Sharma as captain. Ashwin has encouraged supporters to halt the unpleasant conduct, stating that such incidents should never occur.
Fans booed Pandya during the Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2024 opener against his previous side, the Gujarat Titans, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The crowd’s reaction was identical to when MI faced the SunRisers in Hyderabad.
During an interaction on his YouTube channel, Ashwin put his support behind Hardik Pandya when a fan questioned if it was time for the Mumbai Indians to publish a statement acknowledging that they made a terrible trade.
“Neither has any role to play. Neither the franchise not the player has a role to play in this at all. I think the responsibility and the onus lies on the fans.”
“Have you seen this happen in any other country? Have you seen Joe Root and Zak Crawley fans fight? Or have you seen Joe Root and Jos Buttler fans fight? It’s crazy. Have you seen Steve Smith and Pat Cummins fans fight in Australia?”
Ravichandran Ashwin
He continued:
“I’ve said this 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 on my side but it’s not wrong to indulge either.”
Ravichandran Ashwin
Making a plea to cricket fans, Ravichandran Ashwin stated that there is no cause for a player to be booed. He further stated that there is no need for the Mumbai Indians to give a clarification on the topic.
“Fan wars should never go in this ugly a route. One should remember which country these players represent – our country. So then what warrants a cricketer getting booed?
“I don’t understand. If you don’t like a player and boo a player, why should a team come out to issue a clarification? We act like this has not happened before.”
Ravichandran Ashwin
Hardik Pandya will be in action next when Mumbai Indians plays Rajasthan Royals. This clash will occur at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Indians’ home ground, on April 1st. It’s Monday.
Hardik Pandya’s performance in IPL 2024 so far
Hardik Pandya has had a dismal start as Mumbai Indians captain in the IPL 2024. MI lost to the Gujarat Titans by six runs in their opening game of the season in Ahmedabad before falling to SRH by 31 runs in Hyderabad.
The all-rounder failed to pick up a wicket against GT and finished with 1-46 against Hyderabad. He’s scored 11 and 24 in the two games.
