The five-time IPL champion, with no sizzle performance, Mumbai Indians end the day with another loss. The fact that Captain Hardik Pandya was underperforming summarizes frustration at the team level. Pandya stepped in, playing as the standoff captain replacing Rohit Sharma, and received criticism, but the poor run of the MI didn’t stop. The fans, despite Pandya formerly leading the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, booed him even on their home ground at the Wankhede stadium.
Apart from that, there were high-level expectations for the India team in the T20 World Cup due to Pandya’s role, but his IPL performance was not up to the mark. Feeling the heat of media as Mumbai Indians inherited a tied rank among IPL teams, he bagged 216 runs at an average of 18 with 11 wickets.
Mark Boucher, Mumbai Indians head coach, felt empathy for the tough times Pandya was facing because of criticism. Boucher had a vision that the players needed to be prepared as a unit to take on the challenges faced by the team.
As Boucher said, it also affected his capability as a leader and his self-confidence. The coach reported on how Pandya had coped with the problems with the team’s unprofitability. Pandya’s campaign had another disruption due to the slow over-rate penalty that Mumbai incurred, one that saw a suspension come into effect, the result being he missed the following season opener.
Opinions regarding Rohit’s future are divided, as rumours about him moving to a different franchise abound. Even after being asked, Boucher presented a vague response, saying the fate of neither player is in his control, nor does he get choices to give preference.
While the impending IPL auction will likely shroud the fitness of players, including Rohit, with some doubt, there is nothing for the executive to worry about. Boucher encouraged his listeners to rely on each day to stay focused on their music career instead of being distracted by rumours.
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