It was a long and anxious wait, but former World Cup winner and Kerala star S Sreesanth is poised to make his return to the Indian Premier League (IPL) after registering his name for the auctions. Sreesanth, who will try to attract bids for his services in the IPL is priced at a base value of Rs 50 Lakhs and took to his Instagram handle where he posted a heartfelt message to his fans. Sreesanth, a member of the 2007 and 2011 World Cup-winning squads, is trying to get back into the IPL for the first time in nine long years.
“Love u all..can't thank u all enough..lots of gratitude. Thnks a lot..#grateful and alwys will be grateful to each and every try one of u..plss do keep me in ur prayers for final auction too..”om Nama Shivaya..,” the 23-year-old Sreesanth posted.
What happened in 2013?
In 2013, Sreesanth, playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR) was found guilty for alleged involvement in spot-fixing. He along with his fellow, RR players Ankeet Chavan and Ajiit Chandila, were involved in the controversial issue which left the cricketing world in shock. In an upside-down turn of events, all three players were banned for a lifetime by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The consequences of the ban also led to the suspension of two franchises in the future, as Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings were banned for two seasons.
Reduction of ban
All three players were cleared of all the charges in 2015 by the Patiala House Court. However, there was no verdict on the ban as the case was BCCI's internal matter. The ban was reduced to seven years after several appeals by the player. The seven-year ban officially ended on 13 September 2020, paving his way back for a return back to the domestic circuit.
Return to domestic circuit
After his ban ended in September 2020, Sreesanth registered for the Kerala team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2021. In January 2021, the 36-year-old played his first match in the domestic circuit in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
