Rahul and Pandya suspended: The Indian opening batsman and all-rounder have been suspended pending inquiry.
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India opening batsman Lokesh Rahul and all-rounder Hardik Pandya have been suspended from all forms of cricket pending an inquiry regarding their misogynist comments on recently aired talk show ‘Koffee With Karan’.
Earlier left out of the ongoing Sydney ODI, the duo will now return home. Other than the ongoing tour of Australia, the duo will also miss the tour of New Zealand. The selectors are expected to name their replacements in due course of time.
BCCI has sent fresh show-cause notices to the players, asking them for a response within seven days “as to why they should not be proceeded against for misconduct and indiscipline under Rule 41 of the BCCI Constitution”.
“You are aware that the enquiry and proceedings against you for misconduct and indiscipline have been initiated under Rule 41 of the BCCI Constitution and the same are presently pending,” the show-cause notice read as per ESPNcricinfo.
“In terms of Rule 41(6) of the BCCI Constitution, you are hereby suspended with immediate effect from participating in any matter whatsoever in any match or function or event or activity that is authorized, organized, sanctioned, recognized or supported in any way by the BCCI, the ICC or any State Association, until final adjudication of the matter.”
The development is expected to directly affect the Indian team. While Rahul was expected to warm the bench in the presence of regular opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, Pandya was a sure-started at No. 7.
In the first ODI, India have replaced him with Ravindra Jadeja. However, they also made the move of bringing in wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik in place of all-rounder Kedar Jadhav. Whether that was done as an aftermath of Pandya’s absence or was just an experiment will be known in the times to come.
