'Mumbai ka raja, Rohit Sharma' - Fans cheer for former MI skipper outside Wankhede Stadium

In desperate need of a win after facing two defeats so far, the Mumbai Indians (MI) have returned home for their first home game at the Wankhede Stadium to face the team that has not lost a clash yet - the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Match 14 of the Indian Premier League (2024) promises to be a cracker, but it also raises the question of whether Mumbai fans will show any mercy to their new skipper, Hardik Pandya.

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Amidst all the boos the skipper has been facing since the start of the tournament, one man who is only receiving praise is the former captain, Rohit Sharma. Ahead of the clash, the 'Hitman' was cheered by fans outside the Wankhede stadium, with many shouting 'Mumbai ka raja, Rohit Sharma'.

However, there are also reports of fans not being allowed to bring posters into the stadium, with many stating that only those featuring Rohit Sharma are prohibited.

MI fans' anger towards Hardik Pandya:

Since Hardik Pandya replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain of MI, the new skipper has received backlash on social media, as well as trolling and booing at Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. However, the crowd at the Wankhede could be even more brutal. Hopefully, this backlash will not dent Hardik Pandya's confidence, and he manages to lead the team to their first victory, especially at home.

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Amongst the sea of blue, however, will be a team in pink - the Rajasthan Royals - who will be looking forward to keeping their winning streak alive. With two clinical victories, the Royals are one of only two teams yet to be beaten in the competition.

Squads:

Mumbai Indians Squad: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Shams Mulani, Gerald Coetzee, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Gopal, Luke Wood, Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Nehal Wadhera, Kumar Kartikeya, Shivalik Sharma, Anshul Kamboj, Akash Madhwal, Nuwan Thushara, Dewald Brevis

Rajasthan Royals Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson(w/c), Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sandeep Sharma, Avesh Khan, Nandre Burger, Navdeep Saini, Keshav Maharaj, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Rovman Powell, Tanush Kotian, Kuldeep Sen, Donovan Ferreira, Abid Mushtaq, Shubham Dubey, Kunal Singh Rathore