Hardik Pandya visited his former home, Gujarat, to play his first IPL match after leaving the Ahmedabad-based franchise.
The newly appointed MI skipper failed to secure a victory in their tournament opener as they failed to chase a 169-run target at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
The fan-favourite and former skipper, Rohit Sharma, gave the visitors a dream start. It seemed as if Rohit was batting without any pressure. The 36-year-old hit 43 runs off 29 deliveries, smashing seven fours, and one maximum.
When it came to Hardik Pandya to do his job as a player, let alone the captain, he failed. Pandya perished in the final over at the hands of Umesh Yadav, failing to take his team over the finish line.
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How did MI fans react to skipper Hardik Pandya's fiasco against Gujarat Titans?
Hardik Pandya's inability to win the game for Mumbai, against Gujarat, brought in much criticism and trolls. Pandya scored 11 runs, albeit of four deliveries, but could not win the game for his franchise. Sharma scoring well in the same game, did not work in his favour either.
After the defeat, a section of the MI and Sharma fans called it 'Karma' as Pandya's men down against GT.
#MIvsGT #HardikPandya
— Khabri_Prasang (@Prasang_) March 24, 2024
Slap of Karma when you mess with Rohit Sharma 😂🤡#RohitSharma
MI Deserved to lose 😭 pic.twitter.com/bLhg55MVWu
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— Sherlock Ohms (@Wanmohnev) March 24, 2024
No respect for seniors, did same to Mohd Shami and now captain of ICT #RohitSharma tossing him like a kid
Changing his field positions, ordering him irrelevantly
Chapri #HardikPandya deserves all the hate he is getting and precisely this will be last leg of… pic.twitter.com/lw5fvejz0t
Rohit and Bumrah watching Hardik getting out. 😅😅#MIvsGT #RohitSharma #HardikPandya #GTvsMI pic.twitter.com/L352tCA1iN
— Villager Anuj Tomar (@Da___Engineer) March 24, 2024
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Some fans have even joked about Rohit Sharma wanting Hardik's Mumbai Indians to fail after his captaincy was snatched from him.
Rohit Sharma In Gujarat Titan's Dressing room Tonight 🤣#IPL2024 #GTvsMI #GTvMI#HardikPandya #RohitSharma𓃵pic.twitter.com/bawQqVu6HB
— IKBAL BASID (@BasidIkbal) March 24, 2024
Mumbai Indians dressing room scenes#GTvsMI #RohitSharma #RohitSharma𓃵 #HardikPandya pic.twitter.com/tKN5kEWOHx
— Gaurav HR Fan 2.0 (@GauravHrithiks) March 24, 2024
Confidence is good but over confidence spoil everything 😼😼#GTvMI #HardikPandya #MumbaiIndians pic.twitter.com/4QaPm9SAra
— N E O 🌟 (@NeoIsRude) March 24, 2024
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