Sanjay Manjrekar Tells the Crowd to ‘Behave’ as Hardik Pandya Receives Harsh Reception at Wankhede: WATCH

Mumbai Indians (MI) have been facing the wrath of fans who don’t seem to have accepted the change in the team’s captaincy in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The franchise brought Hardik Pandya back in an all-cash deal with Gujarat Titans before the season and appointed him the next captain, replacing 5-time title-winner Rohit Sharma. The decision didn’t go well with the MI supporters who have been booing Pandya on match days. Similar scenes were on display when the 30-year-old marshalled his boys for MI’s first home game, at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday, against Rajasthan Royals.

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Pandya was out in the middle with his counterpart Sanju Samson for the coin toss. The Mumbai skipper found himself at the receiving end once again after former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar gave him a traditional welcome.

“Two captains with me – Hardik Pandya, captain of the Mumbai Indians, a big round of applause, ladies and gentlemen,” Manjrekar said before the coin toss.

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But instead of a rousing welcome, Pandya received a hostile reception from MI fans at Wankhede. Reacting to the noise, Manjrekar issued the crowd an early warning, saying, “Behave.”

Watch the video here:

Manjrekar’s warning did turn the crowd quiet while Pandya was all smiles, confirming that the hosts have fielded an unchanged XI.

“We were planning to bowl first. It’s quite exciting to be a part of this game. We always look forward to the future, need to follow the process. Looking forward to playing a brand of cricket everyone enjoys. Playing the same team,” Hardik said after RR skipper Sanju Samson won the toss and opted to bowl.

The fans reacting against Pandya has been a massive talking point since the beginning of the MI’s campaign against the Gujarat Titans. While the all-rounder has always responded to all the noises wearing a smile on his face, the act of the supporters has been condemned by several experts of the game.

On the other hand, the 5-time champions are yet to register their first win this season. They have suffered back-to-back losses before heading home on Monday for their 250^th fixture in the cash-rich league.