OVER a week into the Indian Premier League (IPL) the biggest issue that lingers in debates and discussions is the change in captaincy by Mumbai Indians. Ever since Hardik Pandya has come out to lead the MI franchisee after replacing Rohit Sharma, there has been an ugly war between the fans of the two India stars. Incidentally, both have been captains of the national side and played together for years. Yet, there has been no let-up in the abuses the players are getting over the issue. Pandya is at the receiving end of a lot of abuse on-line as well as in the stadium. He was booed and heckled by the crowd in Ahmedabad in the opening game for MI. The Gujarat crowd felt betrayed by Pandya’s switch to Mumbai while Rohit’s fans in the stadium did not like him replacing their favourite star. The issue has now taken an ugly twist with other players coming in support of the beleaguered Pandya. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned the ‘cinema culture’ entering cricket and blamed the fans for the ugly war on social media.

 

It is indeed a sad thing to happen to a league that is designed with the idea of franchisees picking players of their choice in search of the IPL glory. Pandya’s transfer from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians was according to the trade policy being practiced in the IPL for the last seventeen years. In the past too, players have switched sides with only a few marquee players retained by the franchisee owners. However, the uproar over Pandya’s switch to Mumbai is surprising. It also establishes a fact that the home team culture has taken firm root in the IPL fanbase. Ashwin’s question is simple for the fans. They must ask themselves, for which country both Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya ply their trade for? Both are well-known, skillful, established players for the Indian national team. Both share a wonderful bond during their national duties and complement each other for the cause of the team. Dividing them on the basis of a franchisee team is not welcome by the fans.

 

It is not good for the game and the league itself if players are abused by the public for choosing a different side than their (fan) own choice. What is beyond comprehension in the Hardik Pandya case is the level of hate the players are being subjected to. People are crossing limits of decency on social media while pillorying Hardik Pandya for even a small mistake. The two losses for MI have also added fuel to the fire. But then, it could have happened under any captain, including Rohit Sharma. Singling out Pandya just for replacing their favourite player is not done. It was a tactical or strategic or even commercially-fueled decision that the MI owner took while bringing Pandya on board. It must be left to that and the fans should enjoy the game of their star.