3 weeks ago
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Somebody should have told Hardik Pandya it would be like this. Ravichandran Ashwin blamed the cinema culture. Steve Smith said it's all irrelevant. Ravi Shastri feels the entire captaincy row at Mumbai Indians (MI) could have been avoided. While Michael Vaughan asserted that he had never witnessed the Indian crowd boo one of their own, Adam Gilchrist simply highlighted the legendary status of Rohit Sharma. With opinions taking flight and Mumbai firing blanks in Hardik's reign, former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has opted to throw his weight behind the MI skipper amid the trial by fire at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
Watson feels it's time for Hardik to put his headphones on.(PTI-IPL) Where were the Mumbai Indians fans when Hardik was deemed surplus to requirements before the IPL 2022 auction? Did Hardik receive a hostile reception when he marshalled his troops at the Wankhede as a Gujarat Titans skipper? The Baroda all-rounder signed a lucrative deal with GT when the local hero became the captain of the IPL 2022 debutants. After guiding the 2022 winners to back-to-back finals, Hardik completed his IPL homecoming by re-joining Mumbai Indians in an all-cash deal prior to the 2024 auction.
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In hindsight, if MI could go back in time and relay a message to Hardik, what would they have done for a Chennai Super Kings-like seamless transition of leadership? In Hardik's case, hindsight is a useless tool. As Watson rightly pointed out while responding to a Hindustan Times query about the fan backlash towards Hardik - you live, learn and move on. Former Australian all-rounder Watson feels that even MI would have never thought Hardik could get a vicious reception at home after ascending the captaincy throne.
MI would have done things differently to reduce backlash
“The way things have played out. In hindsight, it is always..(laughs) a really great thing that you don't have until it does play out, and unfortunately, the backlash that has come towards Hardik is something that really no one, he, as an individual, the Mumbai Indians, the franchise, if they had the time back, I'm sure they would have done things a little bit differently to reduce that backlash a little, that unnecessary didn't need to come. But you live and learn. And everyone like us is living and learning. One of the leading sports franchises in the world is learning as well. And that's the beauty of life which just taking every experience and trying to do better the next time,” said Watson, who is an IPL Expert on JioCinema.
Perform or perish
Facing the wrath of MI fans in his homecoming game against Watson's former franchise, Rajasthan Royals (RR), Hardik was booed by Mumbai fans at the Wankhede. With Hardik going through a hostile round of booing, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar urged the notorious crowd to 'behave' during the live telecast. In a match where the packed Wankhede showcased no dip in the crowd hostility against Hardik, chants of 'Rohit-Rohit' reverberated at the famous venue. However, underfire Pandya remained ice-cool when he walked out to bat for the Mumbai Paltan. The MI skipper tried to silence his critics as the 30-year-old top-scored (34 off 21 balls) for the hosts in the low-scoring encounter.
Time for Hardik Pandya to put blinkers on…
“For Hardik, the one thing that he's done so well throughout his career is been able to just shut out the noise, put his blinkers on, just put his headphones on and just focus on his ability to be able to execute his skill under immense pressure and he's done that. He has done that for the Mumbai Indians in the past. He obviously did that for the Gujarat Titans as well, under extreme pressure. With the bat and the ball, and as a leader - the way you silence the critics for the backlash you got is by performance! And he has got the platform to be out there and perform,” Watson continued.
Can Hardik shut out the noise vs DC?
After Wankhede vented its ire and MI lost their first three games of the new season, Hardik and Co. will be eager to spark a turnaround against Delhi Capitals (DC) in match No.20 of the IPL 2024. MI will host Rishabh Pant's men at the same venue. The perennial slow-starters are boosted by the return of premier batter Suryakumar Yadav. Hardik can rekindle the bond with the MI fans by ending Mumbai's winless run at home on Sunday. Can Hardik shut out the noise? Watson feels it's time for the MI skipper to put his headphones on.
Bubble is bulletproof when Pandya at his best
“He is such an incredibly skilled cricketer and he's a great tactician and a great leader. So he just needs to shut out the noise that's obviously all around. And he does need to just put his headphones on and not allow any of that noise that's around and that the noise that's around the grounds to be able to penetrate his bubble that when he's at his best, that bubble is bulletproof,” the former CSK star concluded
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