'I have never seen any...': Kevin Pietersen on Hardik Pandya being booed by the Ahmedabad crowd

The fans seemed to have given Hardik Pandya a chilly reception as he made his debut as captain for the Mumbai Indians against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. During the toss, when Ravi Shastri introduced the captains, Pandya was met with boos from the fans. Even after winning the toss, they continued to jeer at him when he began to speak.
'I have never seen any...': Kevin Pietersen on Hardik Pandya being booed by the Ahmedabad crowd
(AFP Photo)
NEW DELHI: The fans appeared to have given Hardik Pandya a cold shoulder as he made his Mumbai Indians captaincy debut against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The new MI skipper Pandya was booed by the fans when he came out for the toss while chants of 'Rohit Rohit' (former captain Rohit Sharma) reverberated throughout the entire stadium.
During the toss, when Ravi Shastri introduced the captains, Pandya was met with boos from the fans.
Even after winning the toss, they continued to jeer at him when he began to speak.

Former England player and commentator Kevin Pietersen expressed his astonishment upon witnessing the crowd's reaction, stating that he has never seen an Indian player receive such treatment before.
"I have never seen any Indian player getting booed like they are booing Hardik Pandya here in Ahmedabad. This is a rare happening," Pietersen said on air.
Pietersen also raised doubts about Pandya's decision to bowl the first over himself instead of opting for Jasprit Bumrah.


Why is Jasprit Bumrah not opening the bowling? I don't understand this". Fellow commentator Sunil Gavaskar endorsed his view: "Very good question. Very, very good question."
Meanwhile, Pandya credited his birth place Gujarat for his success but made it clear that cricketing birth took place in Mumbai.
"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 back," Pandya said at the toss.
author
About the Author
TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA