Coming out in defence of under-fire Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya, who has been at the receiving end of fans’ ire for the side’s dismal start in IPL 2024, former India captain and director of cricket at Delhi Capitals, Sourav Ganguly, on Saturday said that it wasn’t Hardik’s fault that he was made the captain, and at the same time hailed Rohit Sharma’s contribution to the game.

Pandya took over from Rohit ahead of this year’s Indian Premier League after the Mumbai Indians signed him from Gujarat Titans for a record all-cash deal. However, MI’s decision to hand over the captaincy duties to Hardik did not go down too well with the fans, and subsequently the loss in their first three games also contributed to the wrath on the India all-rounder.

When Mumbai Indians kicked off their IPL 2024 campaign in Ahmedabad against Gujarat Titans, the team that Hardik led for the past couple of seasons, and took them to two finals, besides winning the 2022 edition, the fans booed Hardik, and it continued in their next outing against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad. And most shockingly, when MI came out for their first home game against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium, where they take on Delhi Capitals on Sunday, the 30-year-old wasn’t spared.

Ganguly, however, felt it isn’t correct to boo Hardik as it was the franchise’s call to appoint him the captain.

“Fans shouldn’t boo Hardik Pandya, it’s not correct. The franchise has appointed him captain. That’s what happens in sports, whether you captain India or you captain your franchise, you are appointed as captain,” Ganguly said.

The former BCCI president, was also effusive in his praise for five-time IPL winning former MI skipper Rohit Sharma.

“Rohit Sharma is a different class. His performance for this franchise, his performance for India, has been on a different level, as captain and as a player. It’s not Hardik’s fault that he has been appointed as captain,” he said.

In Mumbai’s first home game, Hardik was booed by the fans as soon as his name was called out before the toss which led to Sanjay Manjrekar to call for the crowd to ‘behave’.

“MI captain Hardik Pandya. Big round of applause, ladies and gentlemen. Behave,” Manjrekar said as he introduced the skipper and the fans booed the captain in something that has become a regular occurrence in this IPL season.

There were loud chants for the former skipper Rohit Sharma as well.

Hardik has so far maintained his calm and not spoken about the treatment meted out to him, but he would hope to silence the critics with a win against fellow strugglers DC on Sunday. Both DC 9th place) and MI (10th) are currently at the bottom of the points tally.