Since the time, the IPL 2024 began, one player who has been at the receiving end of fans’ criticism is Hardik Pandya. His replacing Rohit Sharma as the captain of Mumbai Indians did not go down well with most fans. Every time Hardik Pandya appeared for toss or did something on the field, he was mostly booed by the fans present. It happened at MI’s home-ground Wankhede Stadium too. While he has not publicly spoken about it, Hardik Pandya is under pressure.
The inconsistent start of MI at the IPL 2024 has added to his woes.
Former Indian cricket team player Robin Uthappa, member of the 2007 T20 World Cup winning team, spoke in detail about Hardik Pandya’s ordeal on The Ranveer Show.
“”He is a guy who has got the calibre and potential to be an all-time great for Indian team. He was let go by the team which discovered him, he went to another franchise. After winning 3-4 titles with them, he left. He must have felt a little bad; that will be there. He went to GT, won a title and finished runners-up in another. Then the conversation began,” Uthappa said.
“The mocking, trolling, the memes about his fitness. You don’t think it hurts him? It hurts him. It hurts any human being. How many people actually know the reality of it? Hardik is dealing with mental health issues, for sure. We, as people, I understand, as Indians, we are emotional. But it is not right to impose this kind of treatment on any human being. It is unbecoming as a society for us to do that to someone and be okay with it. We should not be laughing along with it. We should not be forwarding these memes.”
Uthappa added that the all-rounder is right in securing his career.
“It’s our job, yes it’s passion too, but it’s what puts the food on the table for me. My job is on display for you to criticise. A corporate person’s job is not on television to criticise, or have an opinion about either. When that is the case, you have to exercise a certain amount of empathy and dignity to the other person to allow them to fail. One of the most beautiful things we did as a country is our expression to love, and our reaction to our Indian team after we lost the World Cup. That’s how we should be as a society, and as Indians,” said Uthappa
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