Hardik Pandya‘s return to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for the first time since his trade from Gujarat Titans (GT) to Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 was met with an unexpected chorus of boos from the crowd. As he stepped onto the field as Mumbai’s new skipper, replacing Rohit Sharma, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation and mixed emotions on Sunday (March 23).
Toss ceremony and crowd reaction
During the toss ceremony, Pandya faced a barrage of boos from the Ahmedabad crowd, contrasting sharply with the warm reception given to Shubman Gill, Gujarat’s captain and Pandya’s successor. Despite the unwelcoming response, Pandya remained composed and focused on the task at hand, proceeding with the toss proceedings in a professional manner.
Here’s the video:
🚨 Toss Update 🚨@mipaltan won the toss and elected to field against @gujarat_titans
Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia 💻📱
#TATAIPL | #GTvMI pic.twitter.com/SD45ApFufX
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 24, 2024
Professionalism from Hardik Pandya amidst hostile reception
Mumbai won the toss under his leadership and opted to send Gujarat to bat first, emphasizing their strategic intent for the match. Reflecting on his connection with Gujarat, Pandya acknowledged the state as his birthplace while crediting Mumbai for his cricketing journey.
“We are gonna bowl first. Looks like a decent track, might get better if the dew arrives. Feels good to be back. My birthplace is Gujarat, a lot of success came in Gujarat, very grateful to the crowd and this state. My cricketing birth happened in Mumbai, so really good to be be back. It’s been almost two weeks, we started the camp. Boys are very eager to go out there and perform,” Hardik said at the toss.
Also READ: GT vs MI, IPL 2024: Playing XI and Impact substitutes for Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians
Crowd reaction turns sour again for Pandya’s bowling appearance
However, the cheers quickly turned into another round of boos from the Ahmedabad crowd when Pandya’s name was announced for bowling, highlighting the intensity of emotions surrounding his return. Hardik shared the new ball alongside Luke Wood but failed to provide a breakthrough to his side and even proved to be expensive as he gave away 20 runs in first two overs.
Here’s the video:
This is for the people who are saying hardik was not booed by crowd , listen to the commentary as well pic.twitter.com/7WcGsC0L5M
— 🌊Venky🐯ⱽᵃˢᵗᵘⁿⁿᵃ (@Tarockfreak) March 24, 2024
Team lineups and squad additions
Meanwhile, Gujarat handed caps to three players – senior India pacer Umesh Yadav, Afghanistan‘s Azmatullah Omarzai, and Australian fast bowler Spencer Johnson-before the toss, showcasing their commitment to bolstering their squad for the season. In contrast, Mumbai fielded a formidable lineup with Australia‘s Tim David, South Africa‘s Gerald Coetzee, and England‘s Wood occupying three of their four overseas player slots, while all-rounder Shams Mulani also made his debut, signaling their intent for a strong start in the IPL 2024 campaign.