Will Rajasthan Royals instigate Mumbai Indians fans to boo Hardik Pandya? Trent Boult reveals

Rajasthan Royals (RR) pacer Trent Boult expressed solidarity with his former teammate Hardik Pandya amid criticism from fans during the IPL 2024. Trent Boult highlighted Hardik Pandya’s ability to challenge the top bowlers and win matches single-handedly.

Hardik Pandya is facing a tough phase while leading the Mumbai Indians team in the ongoing edition of the marquee tournament. The 30-year-old all-rounder has encountered boos from the spectators in the franchise’s first two games of the tournament.

Pandya made a high-profile move from the Gujarat Titans to the Mumbai Indians before the IPL auction last December. Following this trade, Pandya replaced the five-time IPL-winning captain Rohit Sharma, stirring criticism from both fans and cricketing communities.

To make things worse, the MI team has faced setbacks in the ongoing season, losing their first two matches. Mumbai suffered a narrow 6-run loss to GT in their campaign opener and a heavy 31-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their second fixture.

Questions have arisen regarding Hardik Pandya’s captaincy during IPL 2024, specifically concerning his decision not to utilize Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball. This decision was evident, particularly in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where Pandya retained Bumrah for the final three overs despite the game slipping away.

Hardik Pandya Is A Phenomenal Player – Trent Boult

Trent Boult lauded Hardik Pandya as one of his “favorite Indian cricketers.” Boult emphasized Pandya’s remarkable skills and ability to excel against the toughest bowlers in the game.

“He’s (Pandya) a quality player, he hits boundaries, and is a match winner. I’ve played a lot against him in franchise cricket as well as in India vs New Zealand contests. He’s a phenomenal player who can take on the best bowlers on any given day,” Boult said.

Mumbai Indian To Face Rajasthan Royals On April 1

The Hardik Pandya-led team will face the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their third match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday, April 1. Trent Boult and Pandya will confront each other in the upcoming fixture of the tournament.

In their upcoming IPL match, the Mumbai Indians seek their inaugural win of the season against the formidable Rajasthan Royals. Despite conceding a record total of 277/3 in their last outing, MI displayed resilience, scoring 245 runs during their chase.

The Baroda native faced challenges with his batting performance in the initial matches, scoring 11 runs against the Titans and 24 runs against SunRisers Hyderabad. The right-arm pacer secured only one wicket in seven overs with a dismal economy rate of 10.86.

Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, N. Tilak Varma, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal, Luke Wood, Romario Shepherd, Gerald Coetzee, Shreyas Gopal, Nuwan Thushara, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammad Nabi, Shivalik Sharma, Kwena Maphaka.