Hardik Pandya first heard them in Ahmedabad on March 24 in the opening week of the Indian Premier League 2024. The boos that rumbled around the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium were understandable, of course. Pandya, the former title-winning Gujarat Titans captain, had returned but as the leader of his first IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.
It was surprising, though, that the heckling continued – four days later – in Hyderabad. The stadium in the southern Indian city was a neutral venue, with no offended Gujarat fans in sight. But perhaps it was merely an anomaly, a lingering hangover.
