'It's not Hardik's fault that he has been appointed as captain' - Sourav Ganguly on fan backlash towards MI captain

Sourav Ganguly, Delhi Capitals' (DC) Director of Cricket, has weighed his support on Hardik Pandya amidst the ongoing IPL 2024, where the Mumbai Indians (MI) captain has been subjected to consistent booing from fans. It is worth noting that, he has been facing severe fan backlash ever since being traded by MI and taking over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma, who had led the team to a record-tying five IPL titles.

Ganguly, the former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), emphasised that the 30-year-old does not deserve the boos he has been receiving, given that he was appointed captain by the franchise itself. The 51-year-old also noted that while Rohit's accomplishments as MI captain are commendable, it's unfair to blame the versatile all-rounder for being appointed as skipper, who had led the Titans in two consecutive finals.

"I don't think they should boo Hardik Pandya... The franchise has appointed him as captain. This is what happens in sports when you captain the country or a state... If we see Rohit Sharma, he has a different class. His performance as a captain and player for the franchise and for India has been on a different level. It's not Hardik's fault that he has been appointed as Captain," Ganguly told reporters.

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Mumbai yet to open their account in IPL 2024

Hardik failed to impress as Mumbai Indians' captain as his side is yet to win a game in the ongoing tournament.  Their campaign commenced with a narrow six-run loss against Hardik's former franchise, the Gujarat Titans.

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Subsequently, facing Sunrisers Hyderabad, led by World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins, MI conceded a mammoth 277 runs, marking the highest total in the tournament's history. However, MI put up a strong fight during the chase but fell short by 31 runs. In their next encounter against the Rajasthan Royals, MI suffered a six-wicket defeat. Currently occupying the bottom spot on the points table, they will aim for a turnaround when they host the Delhi Capitals on April 7.