Star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been at the receiving end of criticism and hate ever since he replaced Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians' captain in the ongoing 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League. Fans were left disappointed with the management of the franchise for their bold decision.

Hardik Has Been Named As India's Vice-Captain For T20I World Cup 2024

Also, there were a lot of expectations and hopes that Pandya could lead the team to success, however, Pandya has failed to make an impact with his captaincy and with his performances as well. MI has been struggling in the ongoing season and Pandya has been receiving a cold welcome from the fans, wherever the team will perform in the country. He is getting booed and jeered in every stadium by the MI fans, affecting his morale adversely. On Tuesday, despite his struggles in the IPL 2024, Hardik Pandya earned a spot in the World Cup squad of the Indian cricket team for the upcoming T20I World Cup 2024. He was also named the vice-captain of the team, with Rohit being the captain. However, just hours after being named vice-captain of India's T20 World Cup squad, Hardik Pandya had a rough evening for Mumbai Indians. Hardik was dismissed for a golden duck, he went back to the pavilion without scoring any runs in the game against Lucknow Super Giants. MI eventually lost the game by 4 wickets to the KL Rahul-led side. Mumbai Indians are currently sitting at the 9th position in the IPL 2024 points table with seven defeats. Their chances of making a comeback in the tournament are very low as this defeat against LSG has punctured their hopes of qualifying for the playoffs.

Wasim Jaffer Backs Hardik Pandya Amidst Criticism

Meanwhile, amidst all the hate and criticism, former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer came out in support of the all-rounder. Wasim took to his social media and urged Hardik to stay strong in this tough situation. He wrote: "Criticise his performance as much as you want but it's extremely disappointing to see the constant personal trolling and attacks. Stay strong @hardikpandya7 next month you'll be playing crucial knocks in WC and the same people will be singing your praise," Jaffer posted on X. Check out the Tweet:

Criticise his performance as much as you want but it's extremely disappointing to see the constant personal trolling and attacks. Stay strong @hardikpandya7 next month you'll be playing crucial knocks in WC and the same people will be singing your praise. #LSGvMI #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/rYk0kozjMy

— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) April 30, 2024