Michael Clarke really hopes ‘things are fine’ between Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya as Mumbai Indians go through the turmoil of this fan backlash.
Michael Clarke fears the possibility of a stress in relationship between Mumbai Indians’ captain Hardik Pandya and his predecessor Rohit Sharma given the fan backlash the all-rounder continues to receive. The growing hostility towards Hardik from the public across the country is reaching alarming levels and the fact that MI have lost all three matches of IPL 2024 has made matters worse. From Ahmedabad to Hyderabad and now Mumbai, Hardik has faced increasingly deafening boos at each venue… to an extent that Clarke, the former Australia captain reckons, something’s got to give to get the situation under control.
Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya interact after MI’s defeat(ANI)
Five-time champs MI, who appointed Hardik the captain, are yet to put out a statement regarding the whole Hardik vs the public saga. The closest someone came to addressing the turmoil was Rohit himself, who during the final over of MI’s game against Rajasthan Royals, urged the fans to calm down as the boos started to resonate. However, Clarke reckons that if this wave against Hardik doesn’t end soon, Rohit may need to be the one to go a step further for the sake of the franchise and his equation with the captain.
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“I feel it’s probably at a stage that if it keeps going, then Rohit Sharma has to come out and say something publicly and really support Hardik. You don’t like seeing that. I know it happens in sports but home fans booing is not ok. It’s not like Hardik made the decision to be captain. Mumbai Indians have made that decision; they brought him back and gave him the captaincy,” Clarke said on ESPN’s Around the Wicket.
“I just hope him [Rohit] and Hardik are fine. Again, they have always gotten on pretty well. Rohit is a super guy and a great player so that’s the other thing. You probably need Rohit Sharma making runs as well for Mumbai to have the success that they’ve always had. But yeah, let’s get some wins if you’re Mumbai Indians. Hardik has got to keep playing well and hopefully the fans get behind the team and Hardik as captain.”
Getting booed by home fans never a good feeling, says Clarke
Clarke informed how the booing hasn’t had an adverse effect on Hardik yet, but gave no guarantees that it can’t going forward. The guy may wear a smile on the outside but seeing his own fans turn against him has got to come as a kick in the gut. Besides, for MI to flourish from here onward, the team, especially Hardik and Rohit, need to be on the same page. It’s also imperative for the fans to move on from the petty debates such as who is Hardik to instruct Rohit where to field and vice-versa.
Clarke, a two-time World Cup winner for Australia, knows that it’s like to be booed by your own public, admitting that it’s not a good feeling. And for Hardik to be jeered by his own people is not something he would have expected to reach the level that it has.
“I copped it at the Gabba once captaining Australia. I got absolutely smacked when I walked out to bat. Fans booing me and then I think I made a 100 and they stood and applauded as I walked off,” he said.
