In a surprising revelation, former Indian batsman Aakash Chopra has opened up about one of the most inappropriate episodes in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Chopra shocked everyone by claiming that the now-defunct Deccan Chargers did not give VVS Laxman the respect he deserved during his stint with the franchise in the IPL.
VVS Laxman was appointed captain of Deccan Chargers in the first IPL season in 2008. But after the team finished at the bottom of the points table, the Deccan team management removed the great batsman from the captaincy and handed over the leadership to the great Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist for the 2009 edition.
Aakash Chopra reveals how Deccan Chargers mistreated VVS Laxman in IPL 2008
Chopra pointed out that the way Laxman was sacked as the captain of Deccan Chargers shows how poorly the franchise treated the Indian legend at that time.
Aakash Chopra said on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast on his YouTube channel, “I think Deccan Chargers did not treat VVS Laxman well. That decision did not become famous because Laxman did not become as famous as he deserves.”
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The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman also discussed several tough calls in IPL history that shocked players and fans. Cricket pundits believe that removing Sourav Ganguly as KKR captain was one of the boldest steps taken in the history of IPL.
Chopra said, “I think the most cruel decision was KKR removing Ganguly from the captaincy. It was a sign of how things were going to be. It would have been a difficult decision for KKR and Shreyas Iyer too. Removing Rohit from the captaincy would have been a very difficult thing to do, to tell him about it.”
Aakash Chopra reveals how KKR treated him and Sanjay Bangar
He also shared a personal story from his time with KKR in 2009. He and Sanjay Bangar were part of the team, but were asked to return home in the middle of the season. Speaking on the sudden decision, Chopra said, “They felt that both of them were not needed.”
The former Indian opener believes that many other cricketers might have faced similar situations which were never made public. Notably, Chopra played only two games for KRR in IPL 2009, and then never got a chance to play in the league.
He also recalled how Chris Gayle’s dispute with the Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) became known only because the West Indies legend spoke openly about it. Chopra said, “Such things might have happened to many players and you wouldn’t even know about it.”
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Aakash Chopra breaks silence on ban on CSK and RR in betting scam
The cricket pundit also shared his views on the suspension of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) from the IPL for two years. The decision was taken after the Supreme Court-appointed panel led by former Chief Justice RM Lodha found CSK’s Gurunath Meiyappan and RR’s Raj Kundra involved in betting during the 2013 season.
Meiyappan and Kundra both received life bans for their roles in the spot-fixing scandal, which significantly damaged the reputation of the IPL. Chopra said that removing the two champion teams from the IPL for two years was a difficult move, but he believed it was the right decision for the fairness of the tournament.
He signed off by saying, “Morally, banning both teams for two years was also the right decision. It would have been very difficult to ban the champion teams from the tournament. But it was the right decision, although very difficult.”