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“I don’t know if that has happened” – KL Rahul on Hardik Pandya’s FIR saga
By SMCS - Nov 16, 2021 12:00 pm
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Team India’ newly-appointed T20I vice-captain KL Rahul has revealed that he isn’t aware of India all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s name has appeared in an FIR. Notably, an FIR was lodged by Rehnuma Bhati, wife of Riyaz Bhati, who is allegedly a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim and this has become viral on social media on November 10.

Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya

However, the FIR, which was registered at Mumbai’s Santacruz police station, has included rape-molestation charges against Riyaz, cricketers Hardik Pandya and Munaf Patel, former IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla and Prithviraj Kothari as well.

Asked about the same, KL Rahul refused to comment on that matter. “Quite honestly, I don’t know if that has happened,” Rahul said in response to a Sportskeeda query at a media conference ahead of the India-New Zealand T20I series, which starts in Jaipur in November 17.

READ HERE: Aakash Chopra opens up on New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad

Notably, in January 2019, both KL Rahul and Hardik had faced a ban by Team India for their sexist comments on the Indian TV show ‘Koffee with Karan’. While Pandya failed to get a place in the current squad after his poor show, Rahul is expected to carry forward his stunning form. On the other hand, IPL sensation Venkatesh Iyer, who can also bowl seam, has earned his maiden national call-up as well.

rahul
Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul in Koffee with Karan

“Obviously me and Hardik played together and we’re good friends, so we’ve had a discussion amongst ourselves and he knows what exactly he needs to do and what exactly the need expects out of him. He’s quite a smart guy to understand what his role and responsibility is in the team, so I’m sure he’ll work hard and try and get the best out of himself. And yeah, I’m not very sure if there’s been a clear communication, but I’m sure there will be if there hasn’t been one. I haven’t had a chat with him since the World Cup, so I don’t have a clear answer to that. But I’m sure, knowing him personally, he will be working hard,” KL Rahul concluded.

READ HERE: Shaun Tait explains why speedsters struggle to bowl 150+kmph

India T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Mohd. Siraj

India Test squad: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Md. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna