MCA refutes rumours regarding purported instructions to security about booing Hardik

The Mumbai Cricket Association has refuted rumours regarding purported instructions to security guards over the behaviour of Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma's fans during the Mumbai Indians' clash against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League season to be held on Monday.

Mumbai: The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has refuted rumours regarding purported instructions to security personnel concerning the behaviour of fans towards former skipper Rohit Sharma and current captain Hardik Pandya during Mumbai Indians' clash against Rajasthan Royal in the ongoing 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at their home ground - Wankhede Stadium here.

A reliable source told ETV Bharat that these rumours are baseless and no such directives have been issued.

"There are rumours that MCA has instructed security against people who support Rohit (Sharma) or boo Hardik (Pandya), while we know this is incorrect. This is baseless rumours, and no instructions like this have been given. We are following the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) guidelines on crowd behaviour policy is what MCA follows," the source maintained.

This clarification came amid ongoing discussions and social media debates surrounding the treatment of players during cricket matches. Recent incidents, including the booing of Hardik Pandya during an IPL match, have sparked controversy and speculation.

Pandya was heavily booed with the chants of 'fixer, fixer' and 'Chapri' when he stepped onto the field for the toss in MI's campaign opener against his former team Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.

GT fans are upset with the all-rounder for returning to Mumbai Indians despite the franchise giving him the leadership that he demanded ahead of the IPL 2022 auction when the two new teams were included in the cash-rich league. He was traded to MI in an all-cash deal a few days before the mini IPL auction in December 2023. Within hours of his trade, Hardik was announced as the captain of the MI, replacing one of the most successful captains of the tournament Rohit Sharma.

Rohit Sharma had a brilliant ICC ODI World Cup except for the loss in the final against Australia, winning 10 out of 10 matches including nine league matches and a semi-final against New Zealand. The 36-year-old's sacking from the leadership was a very shocking decision for his and franchise fans.

Hardik Pandya had led Gujarat to their maiden title in 2022 and then the franchise ended up as runners-up in the last season.

Ahead of the MI's clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad, former India cricket Manoj Tiwary asserted that the 30-year-old will be booed a "bit louder" when the team plays its first home IPL game here on April 1.

The MCA's stand aims to reassure cricket enthusiasts that the cricket body is committed to upholding fairness and respect towards all players, irrespective of fan sentiments or reactions.

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