Allow Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul to play while inquiry is on: CK Khanna

Under-fire India cricketers KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya could soon return to action if the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administration (CoA) accepts BCCI acting president CK Khanna’s proposal. Both the players are currently suspended from selection pending an inquiry for their controversial remarks on television talk show Koffee with Karan. With the players, especially Pandya, facing heavy backlash, the BCCI decided to take the matters in their own hands.

The board asked both the players to return to India from Australia which ruled the duo out of the ODI series and the upcoming limited-overs tour of New Zealand. At the time being the future of both the players is in limbo. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court adjourned the case related to the BCCI till next week.

The court was set to give its verdict on several cases including their decision on Pandya and Rahul. However, the Supreme Court made it clear that it would proceed with the case only after the appointment of an amicus curiae to replace Gopal Subramanium.

Vinod Rai, chief of CoA, had later said that they will next step in this case only after getting directions from the court. The CoA has asked the court for directions on appointing an ombudsman to investigate the whole matter.

CK Khanna’s letter to CoA:

At a time when nothing is clear on when the duo will return to action, CK Khanna has suggested that the suspension imposed on the cricketers be lifted. He has written a letter to the CoA and the other BCCI officials, asking them to allow the players to join the Indian team in New Zealand for the limited-overs tour.

“I suggest that pending inquiry, we reinstate both the cricketers in the Indian squad immediately and allow them to join the team in New Zealand at the earliest,” Khanna wrote in a mail to the CoA and the BCCI office-bearers.

“They made a mistake, and they have already been suspended and called back from the series against Australia. They have also submitted an unconditional apology. We must not keep their careers in a limbo,” Khanna added.

The Indian selectors had replaced Pandya and Rahul with Vijay Shankar and Shubman Gill. While Shankar was selected for the ODI series in Australia, Gill was picked for the tour of New Zealand.

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