Rajasthan Royals’ fast bowler, Trent Boult, showed his unwavering support for his former teammate, Hardik Pandya, amidst the challenging circumstances the Mumbai Indians skipper has faced in the ongoing IPL season. Hardik, who assumed captaincy duties for Mumbai Indians following his return from Gujarat Titans, encountered hostile reception from the crowd during matches in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.

The transition in leadership from Rohit Sharma to Hardik has stirred mixed reactions among fans, resulting in vocal disapproval directed towards the new skipper.

Boult emphasised the importance of Hardik remaining focused and resilient amidst the “white noise” generated by the crowd’s booing. “It is something you cannot control, as professional sportspeople it is what you are exposed to in a way. You have to block out the white noise and focus on the job, (but) it is easier said than done,” Boult told the media ahead of RR’s match against MI.

“There are a lot of passionate fans in this country, and speaking of Hardik specifically, he is one of my favourite Indian cricketers and I do not think the booing will hold out for too long. I am sure, he is one of those guys who can put it aside and focus on the job,” Boult added.

Hardik’s teammate, Piyush Chawla, also spoke in detail about the crowd’s reactions to the MI skipper as the side gears up for its first home game of the season. Chawla stated Hardik has remained unaffected by the booing and vocal disapproval from the fans.

“Well, that you can’t really help because you know, they are a crowd and whatever they are doing is beyond our control so we can’t really say what they are doing,” Chawla said.

“The way Hardik has taken it…he is just focusing on the game, he is not even worried about what the crowd is doing and once we get a win under our belt, things will be totally different.”

MI hunting their first win

Mumbai Indians will be aiming to clinch their first win of the season when they meet the high-flying Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. In their previous match, MI conceded a record total of 277/3 in the first innings but produced a fighting comeback to score 245 in the run chase.