Rishabh Pant, Aakash Chopra weigh in on Warner and Smith missing out the IPL

When the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided that Steve Smith and David Warner will not feature in the billion-dollar-worth Indian Premier League (IPL) this year. It was particularly met with criticism because IPL itself has been involved in several incidents that have interfered with the ‘Spirit of  Cricket.’

The criticism that they received was because people thought IPL taking a moral high ground was absurd when they were welcoming two franchises that were banned for two years on corruption charges. However, it is important to note that one of those teams, the Rajasthan Royals could not afford to have a player in the team that was not allowed to play cricket in his own country, let alone lead them after coming back from a ban.

During the Australia cheating storm last week, BCCI cleared its stance on this situation by saying, “The BCCI hopes that the cricketers participating in the IPL hold the highest regard for the spirit of cricket and code of conduct for players and match officials.”

Delhi Daredevils wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant said this week when asked about the Australia fiasco, “There is always a lot to learn from everything, but I always believe that cricket is a gentleman´s game. The sport should be played in the same spirit.”

Similarly, Aakash Chopra reflected on the absence of Warner in the Sunrisers Hyderabad. It is a big blow for the team because he not only their leader but their key batsman. However, one man’s loss is another man’s gain and that is exactly why Kane Williamson as the new skipper will be in the spotlight. He believes the tournament will not lose its sheen despite losing two top performers. He insists that new stars will rise.

“The IPL is a fantastic tournament, everybody forgets. You only focus on who is there. The charm will remain. Life goes on, cricket carries on. One man´s loss is another man´s opportunity,” said Chopra.

Here is how the RR squad looks like:

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