MI and KXIP on Pandya and Rahul for IPL 2019: The IPL franchises have expressed odds at losing their star players for IPL 2019.
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With the decision regarding the suspension of cricketers Lokesh Rahul and Hardik Pandya getting delayed by a week, serious concerns are being made regarding the participation of both the players at the highest level.
The duo was suspended from the ongoing tour of Australia and the imminent tour of New Zealand as an aftermath of their misogynist comments on renowned talk show Koffee With Karan.
With only five ODIs remaining (excluding the series in New Zealand) before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, India would be wanting to play all-rounder Pandya for he hasn’t played in international cricket since getting injured during the Asia Cup in September last year.
There have been calls for the duo to be suspended from the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. While there has been no confirmation on the same, the respective IPL franchises of both the players have expressed odds at the possibility of them missing the tournament.
According to the reports in InsideSport, a senior executive from one of the franchises has cleared that they don’t support the players’ views by any means but can’t afford to lose them during or at the start of the IPL.
“We don’t deny what they said is not acceptable. Our management is clear that he will be sanitised before donning our jersey for the season. You will see a sea change in his behaviour. The issue has been discussed at length by our management. While the team owners are furious about the whole episode, management is of the view that we cannot make an emotional decision,” a senior executive said.
There was a suggestion made from the franchise that the players can be punished financially but penalising the franchise will not be a professional call.
“They [BCCI or the CoA] can penalise them financially by demoting them in their contract category. But why penalise us. There is nothing like sympathising. This is a pure professional call. Why do we indulge in morale policing? We are clear on how to handle him once he joins us for the league,” the franchise further added.
While Pandya plays for Mumbai Indians, Rahul represents Kings XI Punjab in the IPL.
