Oh, MI! No clarity here

MI skipper Hardik Pandya. Pic/AFP

Former India coach Ravi Shastri feels the fan backlash towards Hardik Pandya could have been avoided had Mumbai Indians shown "clarity in communication" while announcing him as captain.

‘Franchise is boss'

Shastri also advised Pandya to stay calm and weather the storm with solid performances. "This is not the Indian cricket team that's playing. This is franchise cricket. They have paid top dollar. They are the bosses. It's their entitlement as to who they want as captain. Okay, where I think this could have been handled better was with more clarity in communication," Shastri told Star Sports Cricket Live Show. "If you wanted Hardik Pandya as captain, then say that we are looking at the future. We are looking to build.

Ravi Shastri

Rohit has done a fabulous job, as everyone knows, and we want him to help out Hardik in these next three years as the team progresses. That communication, that clarity should have come out a little more for all this to die down. So it's not a case of you saying, ‘No, we don't want Rohit Sharma,' or ‘He was treated badly,' and all the things that are coming out in social media," he added. Shastri expects the tide to turn once Mumbai Indians start winning. The team is currently on a three-match losing streak.

Also Read: Give due, don't boo

Good results matter

"So, my advice to Hardik would be to be calm, patient, ignore, and just focus on your game. Get a couple of performances going. Mumbai Indians are a terrific side. If they get on a roll, they win three or four matches on the trot, everything will subside," he said. "At the end of the day, nothing beats results. You win matches, and things will change. There's a lot of bull crap out there as well. You know, and some of the stories are just planted. A lot of it is just planted on other people's names, including my name," he added.

Surya clears most tests, to play on Apr 7 or 11

Mumbai Indians will soon get a much required batting boost as the World No. 1 ranked T20 batter Suryakumar Yadav has cleared almost all fitness tests at NCA and is very close to playing his first game of the season. "The clearer picture will emerge after tomorrow's tests. There's still three days before the next game (April 7 but since it's a comeback after a long time, it could also be April 11 at home against RCB," a BCCI source said.

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