Rahul Dravid and innocent Rajasthan Royals cricketers, we feel sorry for you

In a shocking development, Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) were banned for two years for one man’s sins in the IPL 2013 spot-fixing and betting scandal, along with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Devarchit Varma laments how wrongdoings of one individual can literally kill future of many innocents.

Indeed, the IPL 2013 spot-fixing and betting scandal opened a can of worms of such magnitude that the after-effects are being witnessed two years since then. Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra certainly belonged to that wealthy group of young Indians who could afford owning IPL teams, but greed got better of their morals; in bargain they mishandled careers of so many bright cricketers in a manner never seen anytime in world cricket. ALSO READ: Lodha Panel’s verdict on CSK, RR, Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra

It is a sad day for Indian cricket. The greed of two men — ironically both hailing from strong financial backgrounds — proved costly for the hopes of many a budding international cricketer and franchises doing whatever it takes to achieve glory. Betting is not new to sport: in India where it is considered illegal, many indulge in it and make money. This case presents a strong reason why it should be legalised in India. But two random men indulging in betting over a few drinks is not as harmful to the sport as those who manage it, those who are in a way custodians of it. ALSO READ: 5 things that are likely to change following Lodha Panel’s verdict

The acts of Kundra and Meiyappan cannot be forgotten, for they have exposed how frail men become when it comes to money, and how feeble administrators of cricket are. This dark incident should serve as a strong example.

Imagine what Rahul Dravid must be feeling right now. Imagine what young Sanju Samson will be going through. Imagine what Ajinkya Rahane would be experiencing, and so does Steve Smith — the No. 1 batsman in ICC Test rankings till recently. They did no wrong. Some of their teammates might have, but these men have done nothing to deserve such a fate. ALSO READ: List of cricketers we will miss in IPL 9 and 10

One cannot do anything but feel sorry for them. Really.

Remember Abraham Lincoln’s words? “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Little did he and those in his audience that day know how true the words were. When Dravid and his men look back to all that has transpired with a clear mind, they will know that their house was after all divided. It was an inside job. They cannot be ashamed of all that happened — they had nothing to do with it — but one among them turned out bad; as a result he brought shame to everyone, including the game of cricket. ALSO READ: BCCI to discuss IPL future following Lodha verdict

All Dravid and his men tried to do was play good cricket and win, and they did achieve considerable success. They were paid to carry out jobs on the cricket field and no stone was left unturned. But those who were supposed to ensure smooth functioning of RR certainly erred. The mistake they made was not seeing what was happening all these years, and it is unpardonable.

RR have got a fair decision. The management failed to see what was happening over all these years, what one of their main officials was doing. Ironically, alongside indulging in all these activities, he would turn up on RR matches as their most enthusiastic supporter. Sorry, the word ‘enthusiast’ here does not derive the same meaning which N Srinivasan used for Meiyappan once.

It is not yet clear whether these decisions can be challenged. But knowing Indian cricket, more drama will follow. But spare a thought for Dravid and his men. What will they do? Will they play after all? The big names from both CSK and RR may get buyers, but what about the unsung heroes?

For now, one can do nothing but feel sorry for the cricketers from both Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings. And especially, Rahul Dravid.

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(Devarchit Varma is a reporter with CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter @Devarchit)