Ex-player wants BCCI to step in and ensure this doesn’t repeat

KL Rahul. Pic/AFP

The already-hassled Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul, who was in a state of dismay after the Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma onslaught, was in for a bigger shock after his team fell to a humiliating 10-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Wednesday.

Rahul, who has led India in all three formats, had to face the fury of disgruntled owner Sanjiv Goenka in full public view. An animated Goenka appeared unhappy with the team's horrendous show.

This sordid incident has led to a storm across social media platforms with cricket lovers condemning the upset owner.

This outburst did not go down well with former Indian players too. "It is an insult. He is an established India player. Cricket is a team game. He is not solely responsible. There is a support staff led by the head coach. They are all part of the team's strategy. If at all the owner had a grievance, he could have expressed it privately or in the dressing room. In fact, the full support staff should have been summoned and asked for an explanation. We all feel sorry for Rahul," said a former Test player.

He added: "I think the BCCI should step in and ensure these incidents don't occur in future. The broadcasters should also not telecast these things. It sends out wrong signals to the global game and gives IPL a poor image. There is a need to be more professional."