'A human being like you': Ravi Shastri appeals to MI fans booing captain Hardik Pandya

Former head coach of the Indian cricket team Ravi Shastri recently urged Mumbai Indians (MI) fans to cut captain Hardik Pandya some slack, while requesting them to stop booing him during IPL matches.

Hardik Pandya replaced Rohit Sharma as the Mumbai Indians captain after a phenomenal run with the Gujarat Titans franchise. Under Pandya's leadership, MI has lost all three matches it has played so far and is ranking at the bottom of IPL 2024 points table.

The former Team India head coach said that Pandya is a new captain and at the end of the day, he is a human being just like the fans.

"You have supported the team over the years. In just 2-3 matches, they won't be a bad team. They are 5-time champions, after all, they have a new captain. Just be patient, you know the bloke you're getting after is a human being like you. At the end of the day, he has to sleep in the night. So just think about it, be calm," Star Sports quoted Shastri as saying. 

He further said that the backlash Hardik Pandya faced from fans could have been avoided if Mumbai Indians had communicated clearly about his appointment as captain.

"That communication, that clarity should have come out a little more for all this to die down. So it's not a case of you saying, 'No, we don't want Rohit Sharma,' or 'He was treated badly,' and all the things that are coming out in social media," he added.

Shastri urged Pandya to remain composed and answer the criticism with solid performances. Shastri also dismissed some of the stories circulating as baseless, stating that many are planted and involve his name.

"At the end of the day, nothing beats results. You win matches, and things will change. There's a lot of bull crap out there as well. You know, and some of the stories are just planted. A lot of it is just planted on other people's names, including my name," he said. 

He underlined the need for more transparent communication to avoid such controversies. Shastri said the situation will improve once Mumbai Indians start winning, as they are currently on a three-match losing streak. He advised Pandya to ignore the criticism and focus on his game, assuring that with a few wins, the controversies will subside.