Hardik Pandya had a terrible game against Chennai Super Kings. The all-rounder conceded 43 runs in his three overs and then managed only two runs off six balls.
Hardik Pandya‘s spell saw him being hit for three sixes by MS Dhoni, as he conceded 26 runs in the final over. After the end of the match, Kevin Pietersen and Sunil Gavaskar were critical of Pandya’s performance as captain and player. Despite not being impressed with Pandya’s performance, Pietersen believed the hate was affecting him.
Ever since he became the Mumbai Indians captain, Pandya has been targeted by everyone. He has been abused on the field and off it and is constantly booed whenever he plays. Pietersen noticed how much Pandya was smiling, claiming he wasn’t happy.
I think with Hardik, everything away from the game is affecting him so much. He's smiling too much when he does the toss. He's trying to act like he's so happy. He's not happy! Kevin Pietersen on Star Sports
"It's affecting him, it's affecting his cricket and something needs to happen" – #KevinPietersen on Hardik's last over vs @msdhoni and the ups and downs of his captaincy!
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 14, 2024
| Watch the legends of the game, #SunilGavaskar and @KP24 talk more about @hardikpandya7's leadership!… pic.twitter.com/QxCKE6KXf8
Adam Gilchrist, who currently works as an analyst for Cricbuzz, believes Hardik Pandya isn’t getting the support he needs from Mumbai Indians. He theorized this after Pandya claimed MS Dhoni instructed the team on how to play.
That line about Dhoni is interesting. It tells that maybe he is feeling a bit of a lone wolf at the moment. Maybe it is all having a bit of an effect because he is having the feeling that he has not got support around him. Adam Gilchrist on Cricbuzz
Gilchrist believes Ruturaj Gaikwad got the support he needed from Dhoni and co., while Pandya is struggling alone. He added that there could be some hesitation from the team management when it comes to supporting the captain.
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