BCCI finally issues statement on Hardik Pandya being attacked by Rohit Sharma fans

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla has finally opened up on the controversy involving Mumbai Indians (MI) stars Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Rajeev Shukla also revealed how the BCCI reacted after the fans of Rohit Sharma made life hard for Hardik Pandya after he rejoined the 5-time champions in IPL 2024.

Hardik Pandya faced tremendous heat in IPL 2024

The star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya led the Gujarat Titans (GT) to the IPL triumph in their debut season in the league in 2022. It looked like Hardik would create a new legacy with his state franchise as he again took them to the final in 2023.

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However, despite things going very well for him at GT, the all-rounder decided to switch back to his old franchise - the Mumbai Indians (MI) - in the 2024 season. This emerged as the biggest transfer in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Hardik Pandya was also named the captain of the Mumbai Indians, replacing the legendary Rohit Sharma, and this decision was met with strong disapproval from fans.

The new MI skipper was booed at almost every ground in IPL 2024, even at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, and in one of the matches, Sanjay Manjrekar had to tell the fans to "behave" at the toss. This controversy affected MI badly as they finished the season with a wooden spoon in their bag.

In Hardik’s case, Rohit Sharma’s fanbase did not like it - Rajeev Shukla

The BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla, while talking about the incident, said that the board officials reached out to the all-rounder Hardik Pandya to check on him after the hostility he faced.

However, Rajeev Shukla added that Rohit Sharma was not at fault as he didn't provoke it and praised Hardik for handling things well.

“When such incidents happen and fans do things like this, although players are smart enough; still, people within the BCCI do reach out to the players to motivate them, tell them not to worry," Shukla said in a YouTube interview for the UPT20 league.

“In Hardik’s case, Rohit Sharma’s fanbase did not like it. But the matter is done. Neither Rohit provoked them, never, nor did Hardik know this could happen. But he’s mature; he did not let it affect him. He did not get emotionally carried away. Then, they started winning, and when you start performing, fans start applauding by themselves again."

I don’t think any format will die - Rajeev Shukla

While talking about the future of ODI cricket, the BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said that the format will never die.

“I don’t think any format will die. The England series was all Tests. Earlier, people used to say Test cricket was rubbish. But so many people watched this series, don’t even ask! The stadiums were full to the brim. After this series, it felt like Test cricket would go a long way. That’s the same for ODIs," he said.

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