Hardik Pandya fan fury forces last‑minute venue switch for Baroda‑Gujarat clash

Hyderabad (The Uttam Hindu) : Indian cricket team's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is one of the country's most popular cricketers. Hardik's popularity is so great that the venue for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match between Baroda and Gujarat had to be changed to control the fan base.

Hardik Pandya is playing for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Fans are breaking through security cordons and entering the ground during matches to meet Hardik and take selfies with him. Videos of such incidents this season are circulating on social media. Fans' eagerness for Hardik has become a problem for security personnel. As a result, the venue for the next Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match between Baroda and Gujarat has been changed.

The match was originally scheduled to be held at the Gymkhana Ground, but has now been moved to the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. This stadium has hosted international and IPL matches. It has a larger spectator capacity and stronger security.

According to an organizing committee official, "The enthusiasm for Hardik Pandya is tremendous. The fan turnout, inquiries, and crowd movement were much larger than we anticipated. Large crowds of fans were seen near the team hotel, practice nets, and ticket counters. Such crowds are not usually seen at domestic matches. Therefore, for security and ease of hosting the match, it was decided to shift the match to the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium."

It should be noted that during the match between Punjab and Baroda, fans entered the stadium several times to meet Hardik and take selfies with him. This forced the match to be halted. Baroda won Thursday's match against Gujarat by eight wickets. After restricting Gujarat to just 70 runs, Baroda reached the target in 6.4 overs with the loss of two wickets. With the win, Baroda moved to first place in Group C.