Hardik Pandya has support from Graham Swan and Matthew Hayden.

After losing his cool for teammate Mohamed Shami IPL 2022: Hardick Pandya looks angry at teammate Mohamed Shami after a pacer flop in the 13th minute. The Gujarat Titans lost to SunRisers Hyderabad on Monday.

Since Monday, Hardik Pandya has come under fire; the Gujarat Titans (GT) lost their first game of the current 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Gujarat lost Game 21 of IPL 2022 by eight goals to SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), although captain Pandya was unbeaten in half a century. An unbeaten knockout of 50 runs on 42 balls helped his by-post 162 for seven of 20 overs and set a goal of 163 runs which SRH achieved with five spares. 

As well as being criticized for his lack of running in the game, Pandya was in the spotlight for throwing himself at teammate Mohamed Shami for not trying to catch up to him. Although not well received by fans, the versatile player has the backing of legends Graham Swan and Matthew Hayden.

In over 13 of the SRH chase, Rahul Tripathi attempted a third-man punch on Pandya's pass. Standing next to the third man, Shami reacted belatedly and only stood his ground as he lifted him after the impact.

Pandya did not respond well to her teammate's play as Kane Williamson hit her for six consecutive strokes. Watching Shami's efforts, the 28-year-old man was seen spitting on his packer with angry words.

Here's a video of Pandya and Shami fighting on the field: Although Pandya received a lot of criticism from fans, she received strong support from Swann and Hayden. Speaking to Star Sports, Swan said his captain was not to blame for his defeat or the Shami incident.

"However, I'll tell you what we shouldn't have done. We shouldn't have looked at it and suddenly said Hardick wasn't a good captain. The fact that they didn't score enough runs loses the game, not captain Hardick Pandya. He shuffles his pack quite well, but your nerves are a little shaky like a skipper or a bowler (intense situations). Not captain Hardick, it's the lack of racing that's cost them," he said.

Hayden, meanwhile, justified Pandya's reaction by saying it was a "critical moment in the match." "I think it was a significant moment in the game; he played at a good pace. Mohamed Shami is at his limit and doesn't try. He's backed off to the limit; I don't want to say he's sorry his catch was avoided."

"He has to push harder to the limit. When you don't defend much, it's about working hard for your teammates and catching and making plays. Be it a leak, a grapple, or just an assist. General to keep the dough from going overboard," he added.