BCCI chief selector Chetan Sharma steps down amid sting operation controversy

All-India Selection Committee Chairman for the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI), Chetan Sharma, stepped down from his role following classified team and management revelations during a sting operation conducted by a television channel. Sharma who has been the chief national selector was removed from his post following India's dismal show at the T20 World Cup in Australia. The BCCI official was shockingly re-instated recently.

Resigns after shocking revelations 

Sharma sent his resignation to BCCI Secretary Jay Shah. The move comes days after the 57-year-old claimed that there was a huge clash of egos between Virat Kohli and former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. Sharma also revealed, the reason behind Virat Kohli’s removal as captain, attributing the same to his soured relationship with the former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.

Sharma also allegedly revealed his internal discussions with head coach Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli during the sting conducted by Zee News.

The series of revelations by Sharma also remarked that cricketers in the national team often took secret injections to get fit before important matches and were being overlooked by the BCCI as prominent players were doing this.

Sharma on the alleged use of secret injections 

"Jaspirt Bumrah was unable to bend as he had a major injury other than that there are one or two players who take injections in private and say that they are fit to play.

"These are not painkillers. These injections contain a drug which isn't caught in a dope Test.

"Bumrah's injury was such critical that If he had played even one match of T20 WC in Aus, He would've got ruled out for at least one year.

"The players are not fit but they take injections to play. They are ready to play even at 80% fitness. They take injections and start playing," Sharma allegedly said in the leaked clips from the sting operation.

'Tension between Rohit and Kohli'

"There is no battle between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma but there is ego. Both are like big film stars you can say, Amitabh Bachan and Dharmendra."

Sharma also claimed that Hardik Pandya was always in line to take over as the T20I skipper from Rohit Sharma.

"In the T20I format, strong starters like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are given "rest" to give Shubman Gill an opportunity. He stated that Hardik Pandya would take over as captain in the long run and that Rohit Sharma would no longer be a part of the T20I setup," Sharma said.

Published on: Friday, February 17, 2023, 11:02 AM IST