It was unfair! When Hardik Pandya displaced Rohit Sharma as the Mumbai Indians captain after a terrible 3 years without a trophy, the former had to undergo brutal abuse from the fans.
Pandya, who had to see trolls flooding over his name on the internet, had it worse when he stepped onto the pitch. The fans welcomed it with boos and abusive slurs.
With all the pressure on his shoulders, he couldn’t do well on the pitch as a player as well as a skipper. The Mumbai Indians got eliminated from the tournament without seeing the playoffs.
When Pandya was included in the T20 World Cup squad, MI fans were all in disagreement. But with sheer determination and an elite mentality, he came back stronger and became India’s backbone in the T20 World Cup.
Pandya took 11 wickets, and his bat produced 144 runs across the tournament. He played an important part in the final by bundling up SA batters to give India their first trophy since 2013.
In the post-match presentation after winning the final, Pandya went emotional and talked about the hard times he went through over the past 6 months.
ABD Praises Hardik Pandya for Shutting Up Haters
South African legend AB de Villiers praised the Indian all-rounder despite the Proteas losing in the final.
“Hardik Pandya had a tough time after moving back to the Mumbai Indians. He was targeted by MI fans for no fault of his. Hardik replied back in a befitting manner. He told all the Indian fans that he is here to stay and he can perform as a cricketer.”
“He made everyone proud.. Even though I did not like his success, I have a lot of respect for him. Hardik is a big match player, and he once again proved himself. To all the Mumbai Indians fans who doubted him, I am sure he has earned a spot in your hearts.”
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