Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya have been in the news for all the wrong reasons during this IPL edition. The duo shared a healthy relationship in the past, but the latter's transfer to Mumbai Indians (MI) has thrown a spanner in the works.
To top that transfer, Pandya was handed over MI's captaincy, a role previously taken by Rohit Sharma. With fans backing Rohit Sharma, his counterpart was severely under the pump, all over the social media and stadiums.
And on Monday, Pandya received a first-hand account of how MI fans had taken the news, with loud boos greeting him during the game and the crowd chanting 'Rohit Rohit' all the time.
It did not help that MI slumped to their third straight loss of the season against Rajasthan Royals.
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What happened in MI's game against RR?
After two away losses, the five-time champions turned to their home turf, Wankhede, for solace. But that was hardly what they got.
The fans at the stadium were expected to cause a mass uproar against their new skipper Pandya. There were loud boos at toss when Pandya was introduced and also whenever he was shown on the big screen at the venue.
READ: Hardik Pandya booed by Wankhede during the toss
There have been shouts for Rohit to calm the waters with a statement from pundits and experts. And something of the sort seemed to have materialised on Monday night while MI were fielding.
Did Rohit Sharma ask fans not to boo Hardik Pandya?
While fielding at the boundary line, Sharma was seen doing a 'calm down' gesture towards the fans. Apparently, the fans were booing Hardik Pandya, something that the 36-year-old wanted them to stop.
Rohit Sharma saying crowd not to boo Hardik Pandya, Just gentleman things. pic.twitter.com/xSm6cRj3BO
— Prayag (@theprayagtiwari) April 1, 2024
MORE: Why are MI struggling in IPL 2024?
However, there were a section of fans who claimed that instead of asking fans not to boo Pandya, Rohit was just asking them not to shout his name.
Rohit Sharma was fielding on the boundary and loud chants of Rohit-Rohit were going on in the background.
— Vishal. (@SPORTYVISHAL) April 1, 2024
But Rohit requested them to remain calm and not shout Rohit-Rohit loudly as Mumbai Indians are already in trouble.
The selfless leader. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/OM1iywKCcJ
It was not clear what actually happened but Rohit did ask fans to quieten down which is definitely commendable given the pressure that Pandya is currently under. MI are the only side in IPL 2024 that are yet to win a match.
What next for Mumbai Indians?
Mumbai Indians are scheduled to Delhi Capitals in their fourth outing of IPL 2024. The match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on Sunday, April 07, 2024.
The toss will happen at 15:00 IST, with the action kickstarting at 15:30 hours.
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