The past few months have been a rollercoaster ride for Hardik Pandya. In November last year, the all-rounder was celebrated upon his return to the Mumbai Indians. However, the situation took a dramatic turn the following month when the fans turned against Pandya after MI announced him as the new captain, replacing five-time IPL winning skipper Rohit Sharma.

During IPL 2024, Hardik faced constant booing from the home fans at Wankhede Stadium. This adversely impacted his performance, contributing to Mumbai Indians’ dismal season, as they finished at the bottom of the table with only 4 wins in 14 matches.

In an interview with The Indian Express, pacer Jasprit Bumrah emphasized the importance of blocking negative thoughts, drawing a parallel to how his teammate Hardik had done the same.

“In our emotion-driven country, both fans and players are highly passionate. As an Indian player competing at home, you must accept that your own supporters may sometimes react emotionally, even critically, towards you. While this can be challenging, it’s simply the reality you have to confront. The best approach is to keep your composure and not let the emotional environment prevent you from performing at your best,” stated Bumrah.

“Focusing too much on yourself can lead you to shut out the world around you,” he added.

“Telling someone to simply ‘not focus on it’ is an oversimplification. The screaming is loud and unavoidable, but the support of one’s inner circle can help. As a team, we do not encourage, promote, or condone such behavior,” he added

“The world may think what it will, but we were speaking with him, assuring him that his family will always be there if they need support. Ultimately, some things are outside of one’s control. Whatever happens, happens,” he revealed.

“Things have drastically changed since our World Cup victory, but it shouldn’t be taken too seriously. The public is quick to heap praise, but that doesn’t mean it’s the definitive story. The narrative can easily change again if we suffer another loss in the coming days. That’s just how it goes.

As an athlete in a highly popular sport, you will inevitably face challenges and adversity. For example, in football, even the best players in the world often face jeers and boos from fans. This is simply part of the sportsman’s journey. Challenges are inevitable, but you can better navigate them by adopting the right mindset and approach.” he further continued.