Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul Controversy Won't Affect Indian Dressing Room: Sunil Gavaskar

Former Indian National Cricket team skipper Sunil Gavaskar believes the ongoing controversy surrounding KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya’s comments in a talk show will not affect the dressing room. Meanwhile, both cricketers received a lot of flak for their sexists and misogynistic comments on the show Koffee With Karan.

Speaking to India Today, Gavaskar pointed out that both Pandya and Rahul haven’t been vital cogs of Virat Kohli’s Team India, who are currently in Australia for the last leg of their Australian tour – a three-match ODI series, starting January 12 in Sydney. Sunil Gavaskar’s comments come after Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul are in danger of facing punishments, including a possible two-match ban, for their remarks on the television show.

“I don’t think the dressing room would be affected, this team is beyond it. The two guys you are talking were not part of Test squad, one [Pandya] just joined for the last two Test matches but did not play. Rahul had very little role to play as a batsman so I don’t think it will matter. If it would have been somebody involved in a big way, then it might have affected the dressing room,” Gavaskar said.

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It is different from the ball-tampering scandal

In addition to, Sunil Gavaskar urged the authorities to be prompt and deal with the issue. However, he noted that it is different from that of the ball-tampering controversy involving Steven Smith and David Warner.

“If you ask me about language or anything on the field, I can speak. Off-the-field, it is for the authorities to deal with the individual’s behaviour,” Gavaskar added.

“Don’t forget what Warner, Smith, and Bancroft were punished for happened on the field. What you are talking about happened in a show off the field. Officials will have to apply their mind to see what to do with it,” he concluded.