Watch: Hardik Pandya left teary-eyed as fans target him with boos after he drops a tough chance vs RR

Hardik Pandya-led side Mumbai Indians suffered their third straight loss in IPL 2024 as Rajasthan Royals thrashed them by six wickets on Monday (April 1).

Things have not really unfolded in the manner Mumbai Indians would have wanted after appointing a new captain. They began their season with a six-run loss against Gujarat Titans before suffering a crushing 31-run loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

After playing their first two games away from home, Hardik Pandya & Co. finally played their first home game on Monday when they welcomed Rajasthan Royals. However, the home advantage made little difference as the high-flying Royals condemned the beleaguered Mumbai Indians to their third straight loss in the ongoing competition.

Asked to bat first, Mumbai Indians were off to a disastrous start and were reeling at 20 for 4 before a 56-run stand between Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma steadied the ship. After their captain’s dismissal, they kept losing wickets at regular intervals and eventually scored 125/9.

In reply, the Royals were off to a shaky start as well and were reeling at 48 for 3 in the seventh over. However, an unbeaten fifty from in-form Riyan Parag helped them chase down the total with ease in the end. The 2008 IPL champions crossed the finishing line in the 16th over.

Hardik Pandya booed again:

As if the defeats on the field are not enough, Hardik Pandya is also having a tough time dealing with the fans. He has been targeted throughout the season so far by the fans for replacing Rohit Sharma as MI captain. On Monday, the fans booed him constantly at the toss and Sanjay Manjrekar had to ask them to behave.

Things did not change much during the game too as the fans did not leave a single chance to target the India all-rounder. One such incident took place in the fourth over of Royals innings when Pandya dropped a tough chance to give Jos Buttler a reprieve.

As soon as he dropped the catch, the fans started booing him. Hardik Pandya looked teary-eyed but did well to not let the emotions get the better of him.

Watch:

#chapri HardikPandya dropped the catch and got huge boo by Wankhede crowd.
Choklipic.twitter.com/kabuXAt4Mx

— Shivani (@shivani_45R) April 1, 2024