JOIN USChetan Sharma's sensational revelations forced him to quit as BCCI selector: Here's what he said
BCCI chief selector, Chetan Sharma resigned from his post following a controversy that erupted after he spilled the beans on classified matters pertaining to the BCCI and the men’s Indian cricket team in a sting operation conducted by Zee Media.
Sharma, 57, played 23 Tests and 65 ODIs for India. He was selected as the Chief Selector of the Indian cricket team in December 2020, but was removed from his post following India’s exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup owing to a defeat against England in the semi-final. He was later reappointed to the position.
So, what did Sharma say to the media that landed him in hot water? Let’s have a look:
Clash of the Titans: Kohli-Ganguly debacle
Sharma spoke extensively about the relationship between two former captains, Sourav Ganguly and Virat Kohli, and alleged that although the 2003 ODI World Cup finalist and former BCCI President did not show Rohit Sharma any favour, he did dislike Kohli.
When Kohli was talking to the governing body authorities about his desire to quit as India’s T20I captain, Sharma said Ganguly had told the Delhi native to consider staying on in the position. However, he believes that in the video conference that had nine other people, Kohli might not have heard Ganguly’s advise to him to consider staying on in the position.
However, once Kohli did announce his retirement as T20I captain, the BCCI had to remove him from the position of ODI skipper since they always wanted one captain for the limited-over formats of the game.
Sharma chastised Kohli for speaking publicly about the issue and claiming that he was not informed of the decision by the board. He believes that the 34-year-old did the same in order to defame Ganguly.
Stand By Me: Rohit-Virat relationship
Sharma claimed that there is no rift between the two biggest superstars in the current crop of India cricketers - Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. However, he believes that there are two big egos at work here and stories about a clash between the two are just “media speculation”.
The former chief selector has also said that Kohli and Sharma always had each other’s backs during the ups and downs of their respective careers.
Catch Me If You Can: Selectors, players, and injections
One of the most sensational claims that Sharma made is that some of the players of the Indian cricket team use injections in order to stay fit for the matches. He believes that since India is full of talent, players always fear losing out on their positions in the team if they are sidelined with a major injury.
He revealed that although the players don’t take painkillers since they will “get caught by anti-doping agencies”, they do use these untraceable injections to stay ready for matches.
Remember Me: Players always keep close contact with selectors
Sharma, in the sting operation, said that players of the Indian cricket team are always in close contact with the selectors, and some of them often came over to his home to discuss their futures in the team. Rohit Sharma, Deepak Hooda, Umesh Yadav, and Hardik Pandya are some of the names Sharma mentions as players who met him in a personal capacity.