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Model and actress Poonam Pandey took to social media to express her disapproval of the crowd’s behaviour towards Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya during their match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday, April 1.
Hardik Pandya brutally trolled by fans
This was the first time Hardik led the team in a home game, and it was marred by chants of “CHAPRI” directed at him from a section of the crowd. Poonam, in a series of posts, questioned the meaning of the derogatory term and expressed her confusion over the negativity.
In her first tweet she wrote: “Why can I hear the crowd screaming #CHAPRI while watching #MIvsRR at Wankhede Stadium?
Why can I hear the crowd screaming #CHAPRI while watching #MIvsRR at Wankhede Stadium?
— Poonam Pandey (@iPoonampandey) April 1, 2024
“By the way what’s this #CHAPRI … Kya Meaning hai Iska? #MIvsRR,” she added.
By the way what's this #CHAPRI … Kya Meaning hai Iska? #MIvsRR
— Poonam Pandey (@iPoonampandey) April 1, 2024
This incident is part of a larger trend of discontent directed at Pandya. Since the start of IPL 2024, he has faced social media trolling and boos from fans at various venues.
Also READ – IPL 2024: Shane Bond draws comparison between Riyan Parag’s style and India’s notable T20 batter
Why fans are angry with Hardik?
There appear to be three main reasons for the fans backlash:
Gujarat Titans fans: Disgruntled by his decision to leave their team and return to Mumbai Indians.
Mumbai Indians fans: Unhappy with him replacing five-times IPL champion Rohit Sharma as captain.
Missing international games when needed the most: Disappointed by his regular absence from international cricket due to injury, especially in the ICC events.
Third consecutive loss for MI in IPL 2024
Adding to MI’s woes, they slumped to their third consecutive defeat in IPL 2024. With the help of a fiery fast bowling by Trent Boult, RR first restricted MI for a paltry 125/9 and then chased down the target in just 15.3 overs with 6 wickets remaining. Riyan Parag top-scored for the visitors with 54 not out off 39 balls.
