Sreesanth claims Rajasthan Royals never picked him for games against CSK after he took Dhoni’s wicket

Sreesanth also dismissed Paddy Upton's allegation that he once abused him and Rahul Dravid.

By Salman Anjum - 16 May, 2020

Apart from his alleged involvement in the spot-fixing, speedster S Sreesanth’s time in the Indian Premier League was mainly marred by the controversies.

See Also: "Most of the players used to publicly avoid me except Sehwag & Laxman" - Sreesanth

During the inaugural edition of IPL back in 2008, Sreesanth was slapped by his then India teammate Harbhajan Singh during a clash between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab.

Moreover, there was also a rumoured rift between him and former Rajasthan Royals coach Paddy Upton, who wrote in his 2019-released autobiography that the Kerala pacer abused him and Rahul Dravid when he was not allowed to play in an IPL fixture against Chennai Super Kings.

In a live session with Helo, Sreesanth on Saturday (May 16) dismissed Upton's claim, saying: "Paddy Upton was not respected by many players in the team. He was not that big of a player. But I used to have a good conversation with him. I really don't know what made him write this. He should only explain the reason."

Sreesanth, 37, also clarified that he had no argument with the then Rajasthan skipper, Rahul Dravid.

"I could never disrespect man like Rahul Dravid. He is the best captain. I was angry because I was not part of the squad during CSK match. I asked the reason for the same," he said.

Talking about his exclusion from the playing XI versus CSK, Sreesanth alleged that the team management never picked him for games against the Chennai-based franchise after he dismissed their skipper MS Dhoni in the 2009 season.

"Yes, I wanted to play against CSK and wanted to win against them. But I don't know the exact reason for keeping me out. In a match at Durban, I bowled MS Dhoni and took his wicket. After that match, I did not get any chance to play against CSK. Team management never gave me proper reason. I don't hate Dhoni or CSK. Instead, it has something to do with the colour. CSK jersey resembles the Australian cricket team, that's all'," the right-arm pacer remarked.

By Salman Anjum - 16 May, 2020

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