The former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan criticized Hardik Pandya, the captain of Mumbai Indians, for not setting a good example during last night’s match against Rajasthan Royals at Wankhede Stadium.
In their first home game of the season, MI failed to bounce back against Rajasthan Royals, extending their winless streak. Fans hoped for a turnaround as they faced Delhi Capitals next, seeking support from the home crowd.
Hardik Pandya faced intensified criticism from the crowd, with boos echoing from the coin toss onwards. His controversial move back to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans, coupled with the decision to replace Rohit Sharma as captain, fueled fan frustration. The team’s disappointing performances in the first three matches, especially conceding a record 277 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad, only added to the discontent.
Irfan Pathan, known for his active presence on social media, particularly during IPL matches, shared his thoughts on the RR vs. MI game. One of his tweets criticizing Pandya’s batting performance, where he scored 34 runs amidst a top-order collapse, garnered attention.
The former Indian all-rounder was among the experienced cricketers who criticized Hardik for not utilizing Jasprit Bumrah effectively in the powerplay. They pointed out that in the first two matches, Bumrah was held back until the fourth over, which they deemed as a mistake. However, in the match against the Royals, Bumrah was brought in as early as the second over and was utilized three times during the powerplay.
Taking an aim at Hardik, Pathan tweeted: “Not a rocket science to get your best bowler early on. Finally Bumrah with the new ball. It was forced cos of small total by RR.”
Pathan ultimately advised Hardik that if he genuinely desires to gain the respect of his team then he should step up and lead by example.
“You always want your Leader to do the difficult things. If he doesn’t do it he won’t earn his team’s respect,” Irfan Pathan posted on X.
