'It will probably be there in his head': Hardik Pandya's MI teammate opens up on boos

As Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya faces continuous criticism from fans during the ongoing Indian Premier League, his teammate Shreyas Gopal believes this will only motivate him to bounce back with strong performances. Pandya was appointed as the captain of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season, taking over from the much-loved Rohit Sharma, who had led the team to five titles.

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Shreyas Gopal on fans booing Hardik Pandya

The decision to change the captaincy has not been well-received by fans, who have expressed their dissatisfaction by booing Hardik Pandya at various venues. Speaking about his close relationship with Pandya, Gopal mentioned that the Mumbai Indians captain is mentally resilient and remains unfazed by the crowd's reaction.

“I have known Hardik for a decade, and nothing much has changed. He is a really tough guy, and something like this is only going to motivate him. The way he has taken it so far is very inspiring for a lot of us. Although it's not easy to take it daily, he is strong and kudos to him. He has not let it affect him personally. But, it will probably be there in his head,” Shreyas Gopal said during a press conference ahead of MI's clash against Punjab Kings.

Under Hardik Pandya's captaincy, MI have won only two out of their six matches and currently sit in eighth place out of ten teams in the IPL 2024 table. Shreyas Gopal, however, emphasized that the team's dressing room atmosphere remains upbeat and confident, and they are determined to make a strong comeback.

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“The team atmosphere is great. Unfortunately, we couldn't cross the line on the winning side in the last match, but every team goes through ups and downs. When you start hitting a purple patch, you start clicking as a team. We did see a couple of good games when we came together as a group. We must put all aspects (batting, bowling and fielding) together in one match. We have been playing some really good cricket,” Gopal added.

"History says that (we get off to poor starts). But, when we come together, the character is shown. This team always has that X-factor that stands up and wants to prove to themselves that they are good enough to win championships."