If you have tasted success on a cricket ground, you will be admired, adored and respected by the entire nation. Everywhere you go, people will treat you like a superstar.
Mind you, even the best of cricketers have to face criticism even on their best day but the amount of criticism would completely be nullified by the respect and appreciation you will receive.
However, just being talented and resting on laurels can take one down if skills are not justified with performances. If you fail to deliver on some occasions, majority of the people will understand you, have your back and support you to do well the next time but if you fail to deliver continuously, you will have to face the wrath of the public.
In recent times, a number of Indian players were hunted down by a vast number of Indian fans owing to their poor performances. In this piece, we will discuss 5 players who faced a lot of criticism from Indian cricket lovers recently.
#1 Murali Vijay
The talented Indian opener had a pretty tough time with the bat in the recently concluded India's tour of England. Widely regarded as a terrific batsman and a Test specialist, Vijay has played 57 Tests so far since his debut in 2008 and has scored 3907 runs with 12 tons and 15 fifties at an average of 40.7.
Vijay has been struggling with form since the start of 2018. Against South Africa in January, he scored 112 runs in 6 innings at an average of 18.66. He failed to provide India with good starts which continued in England where he scored only 26 runs in 4 innings.
He got a pair (2 ducks in both innings of the same Test match) in the 2nd Test match of the series at Lord's after which he which he was heavily criticized both fans and experts and was dropped from the Test squad.
Presently, Vijay is eyeing good performances in domestic circuit so as to make a comeback to the national side.
#2 Shikhar Dhawan
The explosive southpaw opener faced a lot of anger from the Indian supporters when he failed to shine with the bat in English conditions, especially in the Test series. He scored 162 runs in 8 innings at an average of 20.25 in 4 Tests.
India were struggling to start strong and Dhawan's poor showings with the bat didn't help. He struggled in T20 series in England as well as he registered only 19 runs in 3 T20 games.
He faced a lot of flak and was targeted on various social media platforms. Every post he made was met with harsh reactions and little support.
Shikhar bounced back in style in the recently concluded Asia Cup where he scored 2 magnificent centuries.
#3 Hardik Pandya
The stylish Indian all-rounder took a lot of flak for his dismal performances in England. As an all-rounder, he had a lot of responsibilities and the added flak didn't help. Though he had some moments of glory like a 5-wicket haul and a fifty in the 3rd Test at Trent Bridge, he struggled to score as well as take wickets throughout the tour.
This Instagram post got over 3100 comments, most of which criticised the all-rounder for his performances.
#4 KL Rahul
The talented opener, who is well-known for his sublime stroke-play, had a pretty rough tour of England except for 2 hundreds- one in the 1st match of the tour (1st T20) and one in the last inning of the final match of the tour (5th Test).
Rest of the tour - 2 T20s, 3 ODIs and 4 Test matches saw him struggle in the English conditions. Especially in the Test series, he struggled the most.
#5 MS Dhoni
After a successful IPL, many believed that MS re-invented himself but after poor showings in England and Asia Cup, he has become a major target for the fans to lash out at.
In recent times, MS hasn't delivered with the bat. He has struggled to score at a decent strike rate and was even booed in England. Dhoni was seen struggling in Asia Cup as well where he failed to score runs the way he could and has done in the past.
Disappointed fans took to social media to voice their displeasure.
Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda. Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news