Ever since Hardik replaced a highly successful Rohit Sharma — a five-time title winner — as skipper at the franchise in a surprising move, the 30-year-old has been subjected to constant on-field booing by the spectators and social media ridicule.
Amid the negativity, Hardik hasn’t been able to perform up to his potential as a batter, bowler or a leader. In the first 7 games, MI only have three wins under new skipper Hardik.
And former T20 World Cup winner and opener Robin Uthappa recently made a big statement on Hardik, saying that the booing has resulted in ‘mental health issues’ for the all-rounder.
Taking Hardik’s side and backing his decision to return to MI, Uthappa said that the treatment he has been receiving from fans has been unfair.
“He is a guy who has got the calibre and potential to be an all-time great for the Indian team. He was let go by the team which discovered him, he went to another franchise. After winning 3-4 titles with them, he left. He must have felt a little bad; that will be there. He went to GT, won a title and finished runners-up in another. Then the conversation began,” Uthappa said on The Ranveer Show on YouTube.
The mocking, trolling, the memes about his fitness. You don’t think it hurts him? It hurts him. It hurts any human being. How many people actually know the reality of it? Hardik is dealing with mental health issues, for sure. We, as people, I understand, as Indians, we are emotional. But it is not right to impose this kind of treatment on any human being. It is unbecoming as a society for us to do that to someone and be okay with it. We should not be laughing along with it. We should not be forwarding these memes.