Hardik Pandya is one of the most discussed cricketers in the world right now. Ever since he replaced Rohit Sharma as captain of Mumbai Indians, nothing seems to be going well for the star all-rounder. MI have lost three games in a row in IPL 2024 and are at the bottom of the 10-team tournament, with Pandya’s side being booed wherever they play, including Mumbai. Pandya was seen offering prayers at the Somnath temple in Gujarat on Friday.

Hardik Pandya offers prayers at Somnath Temple. pic.twitter.com/hZNIVQ3MH3

——Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 5, 2024

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes Mumbai Indians have shown ‘clear communication’ on announcing Hardik Pandya as captain over fan backlash against Hardik Pandya can be avoided. Shastri also advised Pandya to stay calm and weather the storm with a consistent performance. “This is not the Indian cricket team playing. This is franchise cricket. They pay a high fee. They are the owners. They have the right to choose who is the captain. Well, I think this matter could have been handled better It’s about clearer communication,” Shastri told Star Sports’ ‘Cricket Live’.

“If you want Hardik Pandya as captain, then say we are looking to the future. We are looking to build. As we all know, Rohit has done an outstanding job and we hope he helps Hardik in the next three years Be part of the team.” The team continues to improve.

“At the end of the day, nothing is more important than results. You win games and things change. There’s a lot of crap out there too. You know, some of the stories are just made up. A lot of it is just planting other people’s names, including mine. ,” he added.

“That communication, that clarity should be clearer so that this all calms down. So it’s not a case of you saying ‘no, we don’t want Rohit Sharma’ or ‘he was treated badly’, Everything that goes on social media,” he added.

Shastri expects the tables to turn once Mumbai Indians start winning. The team has suffered three consecutive losses.

“So, my advice to Hardik is stay calm, be patient, ignore and just focus on your game. Go ahead and put in some performances. Mumbai Indians are a great team. If they perform well, they will win Three or four games into the game everything will settle down,” he said.

With PTI input