(Source X)
Ace Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah recently addressed the challenges faced by Hardik Pandya due to negative reactions from fans during the IPL 2024 season. Bumrah emphasized that players need to rise above criticism and concentrate on their performance to positively impact their teams.
Hardik Pandya made his return to the Mumbai Indians (MI) in November last year, having previously played for the Gujarat Titans (GT) for two seasons after being released by MI before IPL 2022. He took over as captain from the five-time IPL-winning leader Rohit Sharma.
Despite his return, Pandya faced significant backlash from MI supporters, who booed him at various venues, including the Wankhede Stadium, MI’s home ground. The situation was compounded by Mumbai’s early exit from the tournament, where they ended up at the bottom of the standings.
In an interview with The Indian Express, Jasprit Bumrah advised that players should disregard negative thoughts, noting that criticism is a natural part of the sport. He emphasized that athletes need to concentrate on their performance and not let negativity affect their focus.
“We understand (that) we live in a country where emotion is really the talking point. It’s an emotion-driven country. We understand that fans do get emotional, and players are also emotional,” Bumrah said.
“It does affect that you’re an India player, and you’re playing in India, and your own fans are speaking that about you. But it is the way it is. You’ve got to take it on your chin. How can you go out there and stop people?
“If you start focussing on yourself, you try to shut that door,” he added.
Hardik Pandya made a strong comeback during the T20 World Cup 2024, held in the West Indies and the USA. The right-handed all-rounder played a pivotal role, excelling with both bat and ball. He accumulated 144 runs at a striking rate of 151.57 and claimed 11 wickets, maintaining an economy rate of 7.64 throughout the tournament.
Jasprit Bumrah acknowledged that disregarding criticism is more challenging in practice than it might seem. The right-arm pacer noted that the team does not support or endorse such negative behavior from fans.
“It’s not that simple saying ‘just don’t focus on it.’ They’re screaming, and you can hear it, but then, the inner circle helps you. We, as a team, don’t encourage that, we don’t promote that, we don’t think that is warranted.”
“Now, the world can think what they want to. We as a team were talking to him, if he needed support, his family will always be there. Certain things are beyond your control. If it happens, it happens,” Bumrah further added.
Hardik Pandya is set to take the field in the forthcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. Although Pandya was anticipated to captain the Indian T20I squad, the leadership has been assigned to Suryakumar Yadav by selectors Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah has been given a rest for both the T20Is and ODIs during the Sri Lanka tour.
