VVS Laxman had been named captain of the Deccan Chargers in the very first IPL season in 2008. But after the side finished bottom of the points table, the Deccan team management removed the legendary batsman from the captaincy and handed over the reins to legendary Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist for the 2009 edition.
Aakash Chopra reveals how Deccan Chargers unfairly treated VVS Laxman in IPL 2008
Chopra has pointed out that the manner in which Laxman was dismissed as the Deccan Chargers captain showed how poorly the Indian legend was treated by the franchise at the time.
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Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said, “I feel VVS Laxman was not treated well by Deccan Chargers. That decision did not become famous because Laxman has not become as famous as he deserves to be.”
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The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman also discussed several tough decisions in IPL history that shocked players and fans. The cricket pandit opined that removing Sourav Ganguly as KKR captain was one of the boldest steps taken in the history of the IPL.
Chopra commented, “I think the boldest decision was KKR removing Ganguly from the captaincy. That was a sign of how things would go. KKR and Shreyas Iyer would have been a tough decision too. Removing Rohit from the captaincy would have been very difficult to tell him about it.”
Aakash Chopra reveals how he and Sanjay Bangar were treated by KKR
He also shared a personal story from his time with KKR in 2009. He and Sanjay Bangar were part of the squad but were asked to return home midway through the season. About the sudden decision, Chopra said, “They felt these two were not necessary.”
The former Indian opener believes that many other cricketers have faced similar situations, which were never made public. Interestingly, Chopra played only two matches in the 2009 IPL for the KRR, and never got a chance to play in the league after that.
He also recalled how Chris Gayle’s feud with Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) became known only because the West Indian legend spoke openly about it. And Chopra said, “Things like that would have happened to so many players, and you won’t even know about it.”
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Aakash Chopra breaks silence on ban for CSK and RR over gambling scandal
The cricket expert also shared his views on the suspension of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) from the IPL for two years. The Supreme Court-appointed panel headed by former Chief Justice RM Lodha had heeded that call after CSK’s Gurunath Meiyappan and RR’s Raj Kundra were involved in betting during the 2013 season.
Both Meiyappan and Kundra were given life bans for their role in the spot-fixing scandal, which significantly damaged the reputation of IPL. Chopra said removing two champion teams from the IPL for two years was a difficult step but he believed it was the right decision for the fairness of the tournament.
He concluded by saying: “Morally, it was also the right decision to ban the two teams for two years. It would have been very difficult to ban champion teams from the tournament. But it was the right decision, although very difficult.”
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