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IPL Criticized For Posting Hardik Pandya’s Shadow In Final Poster Before Qualifier 2 Match

Rajgeeta Yadav

Indian Premier League 2025 [Source: IPL/X.com]Indian Premier League 2025 [Source: IPL/X.com]

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is almost at its end. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have already made it to the final, and now Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will face each other in Qualifier 2 on June 1 in Ahmedabad. The winner of this match will play against RCB in the final on June 3.

But before this important game, IPL’s official social media account posted a picture that upset many fans. The image showed RCB captain Rajat Patidar standing alongside the IPL trophy, and next to him was a dark shadow of another player, as if they were sharing the trophy. The post had the caption:

“2⃣ teams. 1⃣ seat next to #RCB 💙❤️ Qualifier 2 has all the answers 🔥#TATAIPL | #TheLastMile"

But what really sparked reactions was the use of the blue heart emoji, which many fans took as a hint towards Mumbai Indians, whose team color is blue. 

Netizens React After IPL's Viral Tweet 

This is not it, fans quickly guessed that the shadow looked like Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya. This led to mixed reactions online. Some people thought the IPL was already hinting that Mumbai would win Qualifier 2. One fan commented, “You’ve already put Hardik Pandya’s shadow 😭👏🏻” while another wrote, 

“So the shadow is already fixed to be Pandya?” Others questioned the meaning of the post, saying, “Hardik Pandya’s shadow with a blue heart emoji? What are you trying to say, IPL?” and even, “It’s fixed! Hardik Pandya is the winner.”

Here are some reactions:

[Source: Instagram][Source: Instagram]

This caused a stir among fans, especially because the match hasn’t even been played yet.

Fans slam IPL on Platform X [Source: X.com]Fans slam IPL on Platform X [Source: X.com]

Looking at the match itself, Mumbai Indians have a strong record in playoff games, while Punjab Kings are aiming to win their first-ever IPL title. The two teams have played 33 matches against each other, Mumbai has won 17 and Punjab has won 16. In their most recent game this season, Punjab Kings beat Mumbai Indians comfortably.

With experienced players and strong captains on both sides, the upcoming Qualifier 2 is going to be an exciting match.