AUS v IND 2018-19: Controversy surrounding Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul won't affect the Indian team, says Gavaskar

The COA is considering a two-match ban of both players for their misogynist comments.

The duo might just have landed themselves in a lot of trouble | Getty

Sunil Gavaskar believes that the Virat Kohli led Indian side won't let the controversy surrounding Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul's inappropriate comments during the recently televised episode of "Koffee of Karan" affect their morale ahead of the three-match ODI series against Australia. 

A day prior to the first match in Sydney on Saturday, January 12, Gavaskar pointed out to India Today that the visitors have anyway been playing one-day cricket without these two players for a while now. 

Hardik Pandya, who has only recently recovered from his back injury, last played an ODI in September last year and KL Rahul is largely seen by the team management as a back-up opening batsman to Shikhar Dhawan and vice-captain Rohit Sharma. 

"I don't think the dressing room would be affected, this team is beyond it. The two guys you are talking were not part of Test squad, one [Pandya] just joined for the last two Test matches but did not play," Gavaskar said, "Rahul had very little role to play as a batsman so I don't think it will matter. If it would have been somebody involved in a big way, then it might have affected the dressing room."

But, in wake of supreme court appointed COA contemplating a two-match ban on both players, the legendary batsman reiterated that its important for BCCI to deal with this issue differently from how Cricket Australia(BCCI) treated Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft for the ball-tampering saga.

"If you ask me about language or anything on the field, I can speak. Off-the-field, it is for the authorities to deal with the individual's behaviour," Gavaskar added. 

"Don't forget what Warner, Smith, and Bancroft were punished for happened on the field. What you are talking about happened in a show off the field. Officials will have to apply their mind to see what to do with it."

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 11 Jan, 2019

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