IPL 2024 - PR stunt or compassion? 'Don't Hate Hardik' surfaces on X sparking debate among fans

In the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, the Mumbai Indians (MI) have played three matches so far, and two things have remained constant - they've lost all three games, and their skipper Hardik Pandya has been booed at all the stadiums they've visited, whether it be Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, or even their home ground in Mumbai.

ALSO READ | Hardik Pandya bears brunt of criticism, but MI management also under scrutiny from fans - Here's what we know 

In the last clash against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), Hardik faced hate at the toss, but after all the MI batters failed to perform, it was the captain along with Tilak Varma who were the sole scorers, who saw the stadium cheer for him as well. 

ALSO READ | IPL 2024 - Boos turn to cheers as Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma sole scorers for MI 

However, the loss at their fortress added salt to the wounds, and the hate and anger continued to pour in. Nevertheless, on April 2, a new trend on X (formerly known as Twitter) surfaced, which saw the hashtag 'Don't Hate Hardik' circulate on the social media app. It began with the Magicpin app taking the initiative on the issue.

Now, many are confused if all this is just a PR stunt by the player himself or if there are fans who are genuinely concerned for the all-rounder's mental well-being.

MI fans' anger towards Hardik Pandya:

Since Hardik Pandya replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain of MI, the new skipper has received backlash on social media, as well as trolling and booing at the stadiums. The anger has only intensified as the side has lost all three matches they've played so far against the Gujarat Titans (GT), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and RR. 

ALSO READ | IPL 2024 - WATCH Sanjay Manjrekar tell Wankhede crowd to 'behave' amid Hardik Pandya getting booed

With this, MI is sitting at the bottom of the points table with a negative Net Run Rate (NRR). MI will next face Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 7 (Sunday) in the day game.

Mumbai Indians Squad:

Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Shams Mulani, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Gopal, Luke Wood, Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Nehal Wadhera, Kumar Kartikeya, Shivalik Sharma, Anshul Kamboj, Akash Madhwal, Nuwan Thushara, Dewald Brevis.

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