26 March, 2007. Indian Cricket Team had recently reached the Indira Gandhi Airport in New Delhi. People didn’t gather with garlands. The overall tone was subdued. The team boarded the bus, and the bus ran on the roads of New Delhi. But the bus was not alone. A series of vehicles chased the bus. They were from the media, and they desperately needed a bite.
The whole scene looked as if a van full of criminals had been caught and taken to jail. The media’s behavior pushed one to wonder why they had committed such a heinous crime. Things did not stop there. In the following days, people across the country showcased their protest by setting posters and effigies of Indian players aflame.
Cut to 26 September, 2007. Six months have passed. An open-top bus is on the road of Mumbai. Today it cannot run, for the road is occupied by an ocean of people. The players on the bus are waving at them. The trophy (T20 World Cup) is glittering. A wave of joy is setting the city abuzz.
India’s true cricket fans- Snake on the grass
Here are India’s cricket team (ICT) fans for you. They will make you a hero if you cater to their satisfaction. They won’t think twice about bringing you down to the status of the devil if you fail to keep their expectation.
Another example that can be painted out is of Rahul Dravid. Anybody who follows the game of cricket would definitely say that ‘The Wall’ was one of the most gentle and polite cricketers to have ever played the sport.
Now, When the Greg Chappell vs Sourav Ganguly saga happened, the Bengaluru boy became a scapegoat. Dravid did not do anything. He was made captain by Chappell. But the Ganguly fans took him to be an imposter and literally vilified him to an extent that was shameful. On 25 November 2005, The Eden Gardens cheered for South Africa on the back of Sourav Ganguly, the homeboy, getting dropped from the team. It was a protest against Greg Chappell and Rahul Dravid.
Another intensely poisonous trait of India’s fans is to directly divide players in terms of religion. One cannot understand this in good times. If a player performs well, the haters are left with silence only. But when the times are tough, they do not forget to pinpoint how religion plays a role in defining the bad gameplay of the team.
Virat and family brutally targeted post loss against Pakistan in T20 WC 2021
In the India vs Pakistan match of the 2021 T20 World Cup, Pakistan outplayed India. The responsibility lay on almost everybody. But a portion of “ICT Fans” specifically targeted Mohammed Shami, the only Muslim player in the lineup, for bowling poorly. Yes, it was a fact that he did not bowl well. But what about the other bowlers? They were equally bad that day, but they overlooked those aspects.
What about the batters? On a surface, where the opponents who are not well-behaved chasers reached the target with 10 wickets in hand. They forgot how Shami, with his outstanding bowling performance, helped India win against Pakistan in the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
Online abuse took a dark turn, steeped in Islamophobic hate, where he was called a traitor and drawn into the toxic web spun by supporters who saw a swift decline as an opportunity to spew bitterness.
Flashing Back At 2024: Test Chain Embrace Rollercoaster Ride With No Comfort
Kohli’s courageous defense of Shami in a press conference aimed to address this toxicity. He condemned the “spineless people” who resorted to social media for their hate, declaring the team’s unwavering support for their fellow player. Yet, instead of united applause, Kohli found himself under fire. The public turned against him, flooding his channels with abuse, alongside threats directed at his wife, Anushka Sharma, and rape threats directed towards their toddler Vamika.
This reaction encapsulates the hypocrisy inherent in the relationship between Indian cricket fans and the stars they idolize. In triumph, Kohli and his teammates are celebrated like royalty.
They are kings on the cricketing throne, with fans cheering at every boundary, hailing their prowess and dedication. However, in times of defeat or adversity, that unwavering loyalty vanishes. The same fans who had revered Kohli turned their backs, showing that their admiration was conditional, hinging on victory rather than character.
This is the same reason one will blame Mohammad Azharuddin entirely for the match-fixing events, overlooking the roles played by Ajay Jadeja or Nayan Mongia.
From Villain to Hero: The Rollercoaster Journey of Hardik Pandya
The saga of cricket fans of India’s fickle affections plays out dramatically once again, this time with Hardik Pandya at its center. When Pandya was appointed captain of the Mumbai Indians, stepping in for the beloved Rohit Sharma in the IPL 2024 season, he was met with a backlash that turned him into a target for relentless trolling and abuse. And believe it, he hardly had any role in the appointment.
As the IPL 2024 kicked off, Mumbai struggled to find its footing, resulting in a season riddled with losses. The pressure mounted on Pandya, with fans quickly pointing fingers at him for the team’s poor performance. His every decision, from field placements to batting orders to bowling to toss, was scrutinized, leading to social media onslaughts that tore him apart. Memes circulated, taunts filled comment sections, and a once-supportive fanbase became a sea of hostility.
Playing for my country will always come first for me. Wishing you all a very happy Independence Day 🇮🇳❤️ pic.twitter.com/I7gcU8fkJn
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) August 15, 2024
The mind suddenly goes back to the late great Shane Warne and his words of how 50 cameras kept on following from different branches of the tree, following his every single step.
Yet, in a remarkable twist of fate, Hardik’s fortunes changed during the T20 World Cup seven weeks later. After enduring months of harsh criticism and disparagement, he transformed into a key player for the Indian team. His performance in the World Cup was nothing short of extraordinary, where he played a pivotal role in securing victories for India, both with bat and ball. The same hands and fingers raising questions glued together to turn into prayers.
As India clinched the T20 World Cup trophy, the narrative surrounding Pandya shifted in an instant. From being the target of scorn and disbelief, he became an overnight hero—feted for his contributions to India and lauded for his resilience. The same fans who had viciously trolled him now flooded social media with messages of support, new profile pictures of him, and proudly hailing him as a champion.
Will Indian fans learn from past mistakes?
These unrelenting harassments raise the question: how can a nation that claims to cherish its athletes turn on them so swiftly? These cases not only illustrate the toxic nature of social media but also force us to confront the inherent double standards woven into the fabric of sports fandom. Rhetoric about support evaporates in challenging times, revealing the darker side of hero worship—the side that thrived on victory but withered in support when it mattered most.
Ultimately, all these incidents serve as a poignant reminder that sports are not just about wins and losses. They are about human beings who deserve respect and protection, regardless of the outcome on the field. There is a boundary beyond which no one should cross, no matter which position you are in!!
As the narrative unfolds, it challenges the audience to reconsider what it means to support an athlete—to be there not just in moments of glory but also in times of trial. Will the fans stand by their heroes, or will they continue to let hypocrisy define their allegiance? The question remains the same, will they learn? I bet they won’t!! What’s your prediction?