NEW DELHI: Legendary cricketers Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan weighed in on the intense fan rivalry surrounding Hardik Pandya‘s return to Mumbai Indians (MI) from Gujarat Titans (GT), underscoring the tribalism within IPL fandoms. The contentious move, which saw Pandya replace five-time IPL-winning skipper Rohit Sharma, ignited a fierce online battle between supporters of both players.
Vaughan, speaking on the Club Prairie Fire podcast with Gilchrist, echoed the sentiment, expressing surprise at Indian crowds booing one of their own. He pondered the repercussions for Rohit Sharma’s captaincy amidst the dramatic saga.

“I have never seen the Indian crowd boo one of their own. It’s remarkable. The booing… I have to say, the Indian crowd just loves cricket. I have never heard them boo. I’ve certainly never heard them boo one of their own. I get the booing when he played at (Ahmedabad) against the Gujarat Titans….The big debate is whether Rohit Sharma will end up back as captain. That has caused a lot of drama here in India,” Vaughan remarked.

Gilchrist remarked on the unprecedented booing Pandya faced, particularly at Mumbai’s home ground of Wankhede Stadium.
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“It shows you the status that Rohit Sharma has in the game there. The mysterious manner with which it all played out initially, the pace with which it happened, everyone was stunned with Mumbai getting Hardik Pandya away from Gujarat and then Rohit relinquishing captaincy. It is an odd one. But this is the nature of the beast in the IPL. The tribalism and intensity within fan bases. It’s hard to replicate anywhere else with that level of intensity,” Gilchrist observed.
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The turmoil has unfolded against the backdrop of Mumbai Indians’ dismal performance, languishing at the bottom of the table with consecutive losses. As tensions escalate, all eyes turn to their upcoming clash against Delhi Capitals at Wankhede on April 7.
(Inputs from ANI)