NEW DELHI: Amid facing criticism in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya seems to have found a way to strengthen his mind through spiritual support.
This is the first time fans have seen this side of the star cricketer. Just to recall, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, too had recently taken spiritual support when they faced tough times in their career. They had gone to Ujjain Mahakal temple, and the photos went viral.
Well, let's get back to Hardik. Last week, the all-rounder offered prayers at the Somnath Temple in Gujarat. He was seen dressed in traditional attire, performing puja, and offering milk to Lord Shiva.
Hardik's visit to the temple preceded Mumbai's match against Delhi Capitals, which eventually led to his team securing their first victory of the season on Sunday.
Despite the warm reception he received from the MI camp, Hardik had been subjected to a barrage of criticism and trolling from fans, particularly those loyal to Rohit Sharma, over the past few weeks. This negativity even spilled over to the stadiums, with Hardik facing boos from the crowd during Mumbai's matches.
The intensity of hate was so high against Hardik that former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar had to come out in support of the all-rounder during the toss, asking crowd to "behave".
In the aftermath of these incidents, the Delhi & District Cricket Association president Rohan Jaitley was asked by IANS about his thoughts on the crowd's behavior and the measures the DDCA would consider.
However, following Hardik's visit to the Somnath temple, the atmosphere seemed to have shifted in his favour. He wasn't booed by the fans during the Delhi match, marking a positive turn of events for the MI skipper, who led his team to victory.
This week, Hardik, along with his family and brother Krunal Pandya, was seen participating in a Kirtan event organised at his place. Hardik was seen chanting "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" with his family.
This spiritual side of Hardik has come to the fore for the first time, and the all-rounder seems to have benefited from it.
Fans have also been impressed with Hardik Pandya as that can be seen through the comments section. One of the fans commented on the post and said, "My favorites!! Yessss!!! Was waiting for such glimpses of the Pandya brothers together for so long!!! CUTESTTT OMGGG And seeing you guys in traditionals is the best and cutest. love you two sooo muchhh!!!!! Omgggg I’m obsessing!!! Hare Krishna."
Meanwhile, Hardik, Krunal Pandya along with Ishan Kishan and Piyush Chawla visited the Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai and offered prayers.
Having endured some challenging times, Hardik will now aim to maintain the winning momentum as Mumbai Indians face RCB at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.