The main issue was the exclusion of Kunal Singh Rathore from the 16-member squad for the fourth match.
Former LSG player, Deepak Hooda, the captain of Rajasthan, threatened to resign on the eve of their Ranji Trophy match against Hyderabad, according to reports from TOI. This situation arose due to a disagreement over team selection between Hooda and the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) ad hoc committee.
The main issue was the exclusion of Kunal Singh Rathore from the 16-member squad for the fourth match. Hooda disagreed with the committee’s decision and, along with former CSK player and vice-captain of Rajasthan, Deepak Chahar, chose to resign after the squad was announced late on Monday evening.
The situation became more serious, leading the management to quickly address Hooda’s concerns. As a result, Rathore was included in the squad just before the match against Hyderabad at Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Wednesday.
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Although Hooda initially stated that he did not want to continue as captain, the RCA panel requested him to lead the team for the upcoming match.
“The senior players disapproved of certain players and it has been learnt that the squad released was not the same as it was discussed by the selectors and the captain. There are a few names which have made a back door entry in the squad and that did not go down well with the senior players. It’s a good sign that this time all the seniors have raised their voice against such corrupt practices which are not new at the RCA. I hope Hooda and Chahar continue as the captain and as the vice-captain and the matter is addressed by the state sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore,” said a source.
Ad hoc committee member Dharmveer Singh Shekhawat denied receiving any resignation from Deepak Hooda or Deepak Chahar.
”Nothing like this happened. Yes, Rathore was not included in the official squad because he doesn’t have any performance to show,” he said.
Shekhawat mentioned that Rathore was added back to the squad at Hooda’s request, as the captain did not want to experiment with new players at such a crucial stage of the tournament.
“Hooda told us that the fourth game is a crucial one and he can’t afford to bring in a new batsman…He added that he won’t be able to captain the side if his choice of players are not there. Hooda also said that he is looking for stability in the side. I feel he is right in his thinking,” Shekhawat stated.
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