Ravi Shastri proposes life ban for offender who ‘bullied’ Yuzvendra Chahal

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has suggested that the offender who allegedly bullied Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal should be never allowed to come near a cricket field.

In a shocking revelation, Chahal said he had a close shave during a post-match IPL party in 2013 when a drunk player dangled him from the 15th-floor balcony of a Bengaluru hotel.

“My story, some people know about. I have never spoken about this, I never shared this. In 2013, I was with the Mumbai Indians. We had a match in Bengaluru. There was a get together after that. There was a player who was very drunk, I will not take his name. He was very drunk; he was looking at me and he just called me. He took me outside and he dangled me from the balcony,” Chahal said in the video hosted by Rajasthan Royals. 

Reacting to this, Shastri said it’s “no laughing matter at all”.

“I do not know who the person involved is, he was not in a conscious state of mind. If that is the case, then it is a big worry. Someone’s life is at risk, some people might think it is funny but for me, it is not funny at all,” Shastri told ‘ESPNcricinfo’.

“It shows the person who is trying to do it is in a state which is not appropriate. When you are in such a state trying something like that, the chances of mistakes are even more. It is not acceptable at all.”

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Proposing a life ban for the offender, Shastri said, “It is the first time I am hearing such a drastic thing like this. It is not funny at all. If such an incident happens today, a life ban for that person involved and send that person to a rehab centre as quickly as possible. Life ban, better not come near to a cricket field then he will realise how funny is it or not funny.”

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Former India opener Virender Sehwag also extended support to Chahal and asked him to reveal the “drunk” player’s identity.

“Important to reveal name of player who as per Chahal did this to him in a drunk state. If true, this cannot be treated as fun, important to know what happened and what action was taken considering the seriousness of this,” Sehwag said in his tweet.