In a recent revelation, Rajasthan Royals' (RR) Yuzvendra Chahal opened up about an incident during his time with Mumbai Indians (MI) back in 2013. During a conversation with RR teammates Ravichandran Ashwin and Karun Nair, the spinner spoke about the distasteful episode where he was dangled from a 15th-floor balcony of a Bengaluru hotel by a drunk MI player. Other players had to step in to bring the situation under control.
This disclosure has been met with absolute shock by the cricket fraternity, with many asking Chahal to reveal the name of his offender. In a recent interview on ESPNcricinfo's 'T20 Time Out', former Team Indian head coach Ravi Shastri also shared his views on this incident that he says is "not acceptable at all".
"No laughing matter at all. I do not know who the person involved is, he was not in a conscious state of mind. If that is the case, then it is a big worry. Someone's life is at risk, some people might think it is funny but for me, it is not funny at all. It shows the person who is trying to do it is in a state which is not appropriate. When you are in such a state trying something like that, the chances of mistakes are even more. It is not acceptable at all," Shastri said.
He added that the offender should be given a life ban and not allowed anywhere near a cricket field, "It is the first time I am hearing such a drastic thing like this. It is not funny at all. If such an incident happens today, a life ban for that person involved and send that person to a rehab centre as quickly as possible. Life ban, better not come near to a cricket field then he will realise how funny is it or not funny".
Shastri also believes that such incidents need to be reported by players instead of needing "an unfortunate incident to wake up".
"You do not want an unfortunate incident for you to wake up, if something like that happens, you have to step up and tell the people concerned. Just like you are told by the Anti-Corruption Unit when there is an approach made by someone or the other when it comes to fixing, it is your job to approach the authorities to let them know," he said.
Since his time with Mumbai Indians, Chahal has made a name for himself at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), picking up 139 wickets across eight seasons.
He was bought by RR during the IPL 2022 mega auction for Rs 6.50 crores, and has since gone on to pick up seven wickets in three matches. He is also currently second on the Purple Cap charts.
