Ritika Sajdeh's comment on MI captaincy change sets off online clash between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma fans

It all started after MI made a bold move and made Hardik Pandya the captain, replacing Rohit Sharma.

Rohit Sharma, Ritika Sajdeh and Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma

Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mark Boucher's statement, along with a comment from Rohit Sharma's wife Ritika Sajdeh, triggered an online war between fans of the Indian captain and Virat Kohli on social media with some even dragging the former India captain's allegedly pregnant wife, Anushka Sharma, into the fray.

So, how did it lead to the clash between the two cricketers' fandoms?

It all started after MI made a bold move just before the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, snatching Hardik Pandya from the Gujarat Titans (GT) and appointing him captain, replacing Rohit Sharma. The move didn't sit well with the 'Hitman's' fans.

ALSO READ | Hardik Pandya MI captain: From playing under MS Dhoni to SKY, Bumrah's cryptic post; how Rohit Sharma's sacking triggered THESE rumours

Just when things seemed to calm down, head coach Mark Boucher added fuel to the fire in a recent interview, labelling the move a 'purely cricketing decision', triggering another wave of fury from the fans. He stated, "I think it was purely a cricketing decision. We saw the window period to get Hardik back as a player. For me, it’s a transition phase. A lot of people don’t understand in India, people get quite emotional. But you know, take the emotions away from it. I think it’s just more of a cricketing decision that was made, and I do think it is going to bring the best out of Rohit as a person as a player. Just let him go out and enjoy and score some good runs".

ALSO READ | MI drama unfolds: Rohit Sharma fans dive into memes as Captain Hardik Pandya to miss IPL 2024

However, things took a nastier turn with Rohit's wife, Ritika Sajdeh's comment, "So many things wrong with this," under the Smash Sports podcast, stirring up more controversy. The page and the video, however, seem unavailable on Instagram as of now.

Ritika's comment quickly went viral, with Rohit's loyal fans retaliating. Adding salt to the wounds were Virat Kohli fans, who also mocked the moment, citing similar situations when Kohli had stepped down as captain for India and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

The verbal conflict intensified to the point where offensive language was directed towards the wives and family members of both cricketers, including Kohli's unborn child.

About the whole MI captaincy swap move, players such as Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah had also shared cryptic stories on their Instagram accounts following the announcement of Hardik Pandya becoming the captain.

MI indirectly reassured fans that all was well within the team. However, Ritika's mysterious comment has once again raised doubts about the situation.

Watch Tejas, Expendables 4, Australian Open, Cubicles 3, and more on OTTplay, by subscribing to the Jhakaas monthly pack, which provides access to 22 OTTs at just ₹249 for the first month.

Share