KL Rahul finally breaks silence on Koffee with Karan controversy and BCCI suspension; claims I never got suspended even in school

Star India batter KL Rahul recently opened up on his infamous controversy in the show 'Koffee with Karan'. Rahul was involved in a huge controversy along with his India teammate Hardik Pandya when both players appeared on the show.

Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul appeared on the 'Koffee with Karan' show in the year 2019. The show is hosted by the renowned Indian film director Karan Johar.

The show usually hosts a no. of celebrities from the Bollywood industry and is known for its gossip and controversies.

The comments made by Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul sparked widespread backlash among the fans and experts, which forced the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take strict action against them.

As a result, both the players were suspended by the board from playing any form of cricket.

The suspension was lifted after some time, which allowed both players to resume their professional cricket careers and participate in that season's IPL.

Both were even included in India's 2019 ODI World Cup squad after both of them issued apologies for their misconduct.

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KL Rahul breaks silence on 'Koffee with Karan' controversy

During a podcast with Nikhil Kamath on YouTube, Rahul spoke about the time when he was suspended from Team India after being a part of the show. He accepted that the suspension left a scar on him and it changed his personality.

"The interview was a different world. That changed me. Completely changed me. I was a very soft-spoken person growing up. Then I played for India and became very confident. People will know 1 have been in a room of 100 people. Now I don't because that interview scarred me massively," Rahul said.

"Getting suspended from the team. I have never been suspended in school, or punished in school. I don't know how to handle it. I did mischief in schools but nothing to get me expelled from school or my parents have come," he added.

When this episode aired on TV, both Hardik Pandya and Rahul were on India's tour to Australia. But both of them had to return to India prematurely after the BCCI found both of them guilty of misconduct.

KL Rahul's next international assignment

KL Rahul will be in action in the Duleep Trophy 2024, which will begin on September 5. He is one of the top Indian players who will be in action in the tournament to prepare for a hectic Test schedule for India in the upcoming months.

Rahul is expected to be in India's starting XI in the Test series against Bangladesh at home. He is likely to bat at No. 5. The two-match Test series will begin on September 19 in Chennai.

Rahul's form will be important for India in the upcoming Tests, where they will play Bangladesh and New Zealand at home, and an away Test series in Australia. India haven't lost a Test series to Australia since 2014-15.