He has taken 40 wickets in 44 IPL matches.
Former India pacer S Sreesanth’s name is currently making headlines as former Chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Lalit Modi recently released unseen footage of the infamous ‘slapgate’ scandal video, which also involved Harbhajan Singh. Amid the controversy, S Sreesanth has now knocked on the Supreme Court’s door, but for a different reason. Sreesanth had dragged his former IPL franchise, Rajasthan Royals (RR), to the Supreme Court with a decade-long case.
Sreesanth, who has played for King XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and Kochi Tuskers Kerala, was roped in by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for the highest reserve price of US$400,000 in the final auction shortlist for the 2012 season. But the Indian pacer was eventually ruled out of the IPL 2012 season after sustaining a knee injury during a practice match in Jaipur. Notably, the Royals had insured their players with a special contingency policy worth over INR 8.7 crore. Subsequently, the inaugural IPL champions then filed a claim of around INR 82 lakhs, arguing that the pacer didn’t participate in the season due to the injury he sustained during the practice match.
However, the insurance company, United India Insurance (UII), denied the claim. The company argued that the pacer was already suffering from a toe injury from 2011 that had not been revealed when the policy was taken. The UII made the Royals’ claim invalid, reportedly mentioning that the old toe injury must have made him unavailable.
ALSO READ
The matter reached the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), which backed the franchise and ordered the insurer to pay the amount. But the insurance company has now banged on the Supreme Court’s doors, where the case is now being revisited. The franchise is still maintaining its stand, mentioning that it was never the toe injury, but a fresh knee injury kept him away from the season during the insurance period. The Royals have also submitted their fitness certificates at the time of insurance and after the knee injury. The franchise has also made the point that if the insurer knew about the knee injury, why didn’t they refuse coverage or charge a higher premium?
As of now, the matter remains unsolved. The Supreme Court has ordered UII to submit additional documents, including Sreesanth’s fitness certificates and original application.
Sreesanth was allegedly initially found guilty of match-fixing, corruption, and betting during the IPL 2013 alongside two others. The charges pertained to the match against Kings XI Punjab on May 9, 2013, in Mohali, which the Royals won by eight wickets. However, the BCCI ombudsman Justice (retd) DK Jain reduced his ban to seven years, which ended in September 2020.
RR failed to qualify for the IPL 2012 playoffs. They had finished seventh in the nine-team points table with seven wins and 14 points. Former skipper Ajinkya Rahane was the leading run-scorer for the franchise with 560 runs, striking at 129.33. Siddharth Trivedi was the most successful bowler for the Royals with 13 wickets in 14 matches, averaging 29.23.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
