IPL 2024 Updates: The Issue of Hardik Pandya, Mumbai Indians, and IPL Loyalty
In recent events, Hardik Pandya’s reception during the Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Titans match has brought to light a contentious issue within the Indian Premier League (IPL) ecosystem.
However, the league is the root of the issue, and Hardik is not at fault for that.
Please excuse the irony, but during the Mumbai Indians vs. Gujarat Titans game, Hardik Pandya received a standing ovation. He was jeered, his behavior was closely examined on social media, and his interactions with Rohit Sharma received special attention. All of it was ugly, and many fans anticipated things would get worse when the Mumbai Indians play their home opener on April 1 after witnessing their attack be pummeled for a world record 277/3 runs against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Many people are not in favor of Pandya being named MI captain while Rohit Sharma is still leading India. Some speculate that it can be related to Rohit’s enormous fan following, which is only surpassed by that of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Others believe that, considering how Hardik chose to depart and move to Mumbai, the Gujarat supporters felt deceived.
Some others believed that even if MI had wanted to get rid of Rohit, they could have chosen one of the other homegrown players, like Suryakumar Yadav, who has established himself as one of the best T20 batters in the world, or even Jasprit Bumrah, who has captained even India and is arguably the best pacer in the world.
These factors alone, or perhaps a mix of them all, have created a poisonous concoction that will undoubtedly cause more harm than benefit for MI.
However, the league is the root of the issue, and Hardik is not at fault for that. The Indian Premier League has never encouraged devotion to one’s team. The league witnesses the spectacular event known as the Mega Auction every three years.
The IPL management contends that this incident causes talent to be redistributed, keeping the league in balance. The owners of IPL teams contend that despite investing time and resources in developing a team, they are compelled to repeat the process every few years, continuity be damned. For the fans, however, it’s a very confusing problem.
Which person or team do you cheer for? Is it possible to endorse one without the other? Teams in India have made a lot of effort to foster loyalty. A very devoted fan following has been developed by a few teams, like the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians, and Chennai Super Kings. They have largely succeeded by keeping three of the most well-known players in Indian cricket: Dhoni, Rohit, and Virat Kohli. Fans knew right away which team and why they supported them.
A few other clubs have hoped that their star players will attract more supporters to their teams. The goal has always been to try and identify a player or leader who will instantly connect with what the team stands for, even though it hasn’t always worked.
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Sometimes a new team and its supporters click right away. And the Gujarat Titans, who had a homegrown captain in Hardik, made it to the finals in their first two seasons, demonstrating that.
Despite without the big names, the team gained a lot of admirers for their performance. However, Gujarat fans were incensed when Hardik made the decision to relocate to MI before the current season. How come he was abandoning a winning team? Was he abandoning Gujarat without a life jacket? Did he not give a damn about them?
From Hardik’s perspective, the decision was well-founded from an economic standpoint. He also knew the proprietors and the management because he had been a member of MI for a long time. It was logical. Try telling the fans that, though.
It may be argued that supporters are becoming more and more devoted to individual athletes rather than just clubs. After his first two years of success at Gujarat, Hardik was able to grow his fan base to the extent that, in a few years, it could have rivaled the big three. But by relocating to Michigan, he and his fan base are up against the ardent supporters of Surya, Bumrah, and Rohit, and winning that fight is going to be difficult.
Additionally, MI must be cautious about keeping its supporters after the massive auction the next year. Many of Rohit’s supporters could follow him if he decides to go away.
This has also occurred in other sports. The idea of fan loyalty underwent a sea change in 2010 when LeBron James signed with the Miami Heat after leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers. An examination of the data showed a notable change in support, with a sizable percentage of Cavaliers supporters switching to James and the Heat. The same was true when Cristiano Ronaldo transferred from Real Madrid to Juventus or Lionel Messi moved from Barcelona to PSG.
First and foremost, Hardik needs to win in order to regain the confidence of the fans. He will then have to do it gracefully. Both are easier said than done in the crazy world of Indian Premier League cricket.
