Hardik Pandya, who replaced fan favorite Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians captain, has faced a barrage of boos in every match
The fickleness of sports fans can hurt even the greatest athletes of all time. In 2017, Lionel Messi emotionally announced his retirement from international football after receiving heavy criticism for losing his third consecutive major final with Argentina.
In the world of cricket, it can be tough to be Hardik Pandya, who is subjected to a barrage of boos every time he plays for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. His mistake was to ask for the Mumbai Indians leadership position, a request that was granted by the team management, who stripped Rohit Sharma, the team’s iconic leader, of captaincy. Pandya is now at the center of controversy as the Mumbai Indians have lost all three of their matches so far.
So how does an elite athlete like Pandya deal with fans who have turned on him?
“Every challenging situation provides the players to build even greater resilience and maintain the focus on what they can control, which is their mindset,” said Girish Hemnani, a Dubai-based life coach and energy healer.
“Fans at times can get too carried away with their emotions and are not able to process their disappointments healthily or acceptably. It’s vital to remember that while fans’ emotions can sometimes lead to unrealistic expectations, it’s their passion and dedication that also fuel the spirit of the sport.
“Even though adults are responsible for managing their disappointments but can have trouble when they get carried away by the collective negative emotions and start to project unrealistic and unfair expectations on players, especially when they are in leadership positions.”
The support of teammates and family could be key when a player goes through such a challenging phase.
“Players showing up despite the challenges doesn’t mean they move on quickly, rather they rely on their strong support system, including family, friends, coaches, and teammates, who provide emotional support and perspective during times of intense criticism,” Hemnani said.
There have already been reports of discontent in the Mumbai Indians dressing room following their poor start to the campaign with some players not happy with how the captaincy was taken away from Rohit, who is also India’s all-format captain.
It’s a critical phase for Indian cricket because Pandya is also an important player for the national team under Rohit’s captaincy.
“Situations like these need great maturity to navigate as personal relationships are at stake too,” said Hemnani.
“These are the moments where personal gain needs to be kept in check and focus on collective gain as a team. While positions come and go, it’s the relationship and how it is prioritized. This is what turns leaders into legends.”
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