Unmukt Chand may have done the country proud by leading India to the junior World Cup but his college and university are unlikely to rave about his exploits. The India Under 19 captain, studying in St Stephen’s College in New Delhi, will not get promotion to the next class.

The principal of the college has categorically ruled out promotion. “There is no way he can be promoted. The rules don’t permit that,” Valson Thampu told DNA. “We’ve not detained him. Unmukt detained himself.” The young cricketer, apparently, does not have the requisite attendance to qualify for promotion to second year degree class.

Unmukt took admission in the college last year under the sports quota after obtaining 80 per cent marks in Class X and 74 per cent marks in Class XII. Cricketing engagements have kept him away from the college and the 19-year-old has failed to accumulate minimum attendance stipulated by the college. He is an Arts stream student.

In May this year, he was not allowed to appear for the second semester but he managed to write two papers after an intervention from the Delhi high court. He scored 62 per cent in the first semester.

Unmukt’s lawyer contends that the college cannot go strict on attendance for students admitted through the sports quota. “He has been attending the pre-fixed programmes of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA). Under 19 camps, Ranji matches, four-nation tournament in Australia and IPL have kept him away from the college. The schedules of these tournaments were decided much in advance and the college is aware of the schedule. After accepting him through the sports quota, how can the college insist on attendance?” asked his lawyer Vikas Gupta.

But the principal claimed the rules were not formulated by him. “I’ve sympathy for Unmukt but these are Delhi University rules,” Thampu remarked and went on to say that there is no sense of proportion regarding sports in the country.

“I don’t watch these cricket matches because you never know which is a fixed match,” he observed. Asked if he felt the final of the Junior World Cup was fixed, Thampu replied in the negative. “I don’t say that but in our country we go overboard with regard to sports,” he remarked. “We’ve seen all the muck during the Commonwealth Games.”

Gupta said the academic fate of Unmukt will be known on September 14 when his case will come up for hearing in the Delhi high court but Thampu said there is no hope for the young cricketer. “My lawyer tells me Unmukt’s plea has been dismissed,” he signed off.

Meanwhile, Unmukt hoped things will get resolved. “I shouldn’t sit here and say that the college should change its rules just because we have won the Under-19 World Cup. They have helped me a lot in the past. I have been in touch with the sports teacher and Principal. I hope things are sorted out,” the young captain said.