- The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League T20 cricket tournament has started on an expected note with the bat dominating the ball most often. Of course, die-hard fans of the IPL must be quite gung-ho about the prospects of witnessing a great exhibition of exciting performances interspersed with the usual thrills, frills, twits, and turns associated with the game’s shortest format. Little wonder that IPL is considered one of the richest franchise-based leagues in the entire sporting world. No wonder every international cricketer worth his salt would wish to ply trade in the cash-rich tournament where recognition is guaranteed if the performances are on expected lines. As you know, several international cricketers have foregone Board contracts to play in the IPL. Such is the popularity of the IPL where the lure of the lucre draws attention.
PC: The Hindu
- Where serious money is involved, investors have pumped in huge amounts of funds and would expect investment to yield handsome returns. Any business house or conglomerate will look to make their investments sustain the competition and strive to carve out a niche for themselves. Now, we know the very nature of the franchise-based league means lots of changes are expected vis-à-vis players, coaches, and other support staff. Apart from the auction happening on a scheduled calendar, there are windows provided for the exchange/release/swapping of players. This is how the India allrounder Hardik Pandya, who led the Gujarat Titans to the title when they first made their debut followed up with a runners-up finish, was swapped by Mumbai Indians.
- Keen IPL and cricket followers must be aware of how Hardik Pandya made his presence felt with the Mumbai Indians gradually emerging as a serious talent to reckon with. Pandya came to prominence through his awe-inspiring exploits in all departments of the game. He was a crucial cog in the Mumbai lineup that propelled one of the most successful franchises to win five titles. Now, we know Rohit Sharma was instrumental and at the helm of affairs in ensuring Mumbai went about decimating the opposition to clinch those five titles. As things stand, Rohit Sharma was not only replaced as the captain of the Mumbai franchise but Pandya was brought in by paying a huge amount to Gujarat Titans. Pandya was also bestowed with the captaincy as well.
PC: NDTV Sports
- Of course, die-hard Mumbai Indians fans were not at all happy with the turn of events. No sooner than the announcement about the change of captaincy was made, the social media got into a frenzy with trolling of Pandya taking centre stage in no time. Cricket fans unhappy with Pandya are not stopping at trolling alone but also are booing the cricketer incessantly whenever he steps onto the field even for the toss. So much so that it’s becoming increasingly embarrassing for all concerned to witness the fans booing Pandya mercilessly. Fans should understand that it’s the prerogative of the franchise owners to appoint or remove the captaincy. Rohit himself has accepted this fact and has moved on. The fans too should move on and allow Pandya to perform.
