Hardik Pandya had to face a hostile crowd in Ahmedabad as he returned to the city for an IPL match for the first time since he was named captain of the Mumbai Indians.
Having led the Gujarat Titans in the last two IPL seasons, the Indian all-rounder made a sensational return to the Mumbai Indians through a trade deal. The India star had to face criticism for his move as many called him disloyal for leaving the Gujarat-based team.
The Gujarat Titans gave Hardik Pandya the opportunity to lead an IPL team for the first time and although he did well as captain, he decided to leave the franchise to return to his first IPL team. Soon after the move, Mumbai Indians announced him as their captain and sacked Rohit Sharma. Rohit’s abrupt dismissal also did not go down well with many as Hardik Pandya once again found himself in the line of fire.
Hardik Pandya booed:
Hardik Pandya returned to Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium for the first time since his move to Mumbai Indians. While the all-rounder expected a warm reception from the Gujarat fans for his performance as captain in the last two seasons, he was in for a big surprise.
The Ahmedabad crowd booed the former Gujarat captain at the toss and made it clear that they were not happy with his decision to leave the team. The crowd constantly booed him as he spoke at the draw. Talking about his experience of returning to Ahmedabad, Hardik Pandya said:
“It feels good to be back. My birthplace is Gujarat, I had a lot of success in Gujarat, I am very grateful to the crowd and this state. My birth in cricket happened in Mumbai, so it is really good to be back.” .
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Under Pandya’s captaincy, the Gujarat Titans won the title in 2022, which was their first season in the tournament. In 2023, they qualified for the finals again but lost the match against Chennai Super Kings. After Pandya’s departure, Gujarat announced Shubman Gill as their captain.