Hardik Pandya has been on an emotional rollercoaster ride with the Mumbai Indians since replacing Rohit Sharma as the captain of the team. It was last year that Hardik was anointed as the captain of the team, but this move did not go down well with fans. Every time Pandya appeared for a toss or did something on the field, he was widely booed by those present on the ground.

It was a tumultuous period as the all-rounder was venomously targeted in different parts of the country, including the Wankhede. This led to former India cricketer Robin Uthappa highlighting the personal impact of public criticism and trolling and how Hardik had to deal with mental health issues.

A year later, a lot has changed. The 31-year-old won back his fans with an impressive performance in the T20 World Cup 2024, helping India win the title.

During the toss against RCB, when Pandya won the toss, he received a massive cheer. This was followed by a touching note from Hardik for the crowd as he acknowledged their support and said, "Mumbai has always been supporting us. We have made sure that this is our fortress, and we kinda defend it. Playing at home makes it different. The crowd is behind you and you are aware of the conditions."

"We are playing good cricket, but it's just that at certain moments, we are missing out on certain things. If we can look after those, we'll be able to get the rhythm," he added.

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Vignesh Puthur

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal

Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from IPL 2025,IPL Orange Cap, IPL Purple Cap, Most Sixes in IPL, Cricket, Sports and around the world.