Delhi Capitals star Abhishek Porel has been named in the Bengal squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. Bengal begin their campaign against Delhi at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground, Kalyani on Saturday, October 11.
Porel was earlier arrested on allegations of sexual assault and has been released on bail. The left-hander's inclusion has raised eyebrows, given the nature of allegations.
Why was Porel arrested?
Porel was arrested in Hooghly on August 11 over charges of criminal intimidation and a case was registered under Sections of BNS and Sections 66E/72 of the IT Act. The wicketkeeper-batter was arrested by Kolkata Police on August 11 in connection with a case involving allegations of rape and other sexual offences. The case was filed on June 30.
According to police, the woman, a medical student from Karnataka, alleged that she and Porel had been in a relationship since 2023 and had planned to get married. She claimed that differences arose between them around a year and a half ago.
Porel's initial appeal for a bail was rejected and he was kept in judicial custody. He spent 38 days in jail and was later released on bail earlier this month. It would mark his return to the Bengal squad for the first time since the allegations surfaced.
Abhimanyu Easwaran continues to lead the side, while Mohammad Shami, Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar have all been named in the squad. Shami's brother, Mohammad Kaif, who also faced similar allegations, is also part of the squad
