K Gowtham lands himself in trouble after skipping Duleep Trophy to play in KPL
What's the story?
Karnataka all-rounder K Gowtham has landed himself in trouble after missing a Duleep Trophy match due to illness but taking part in the ongoing Karnataka Premier League which occurred at the same time.
As a result, he has been dropped from the India A squad for the two four-day fixtures against the visiting New Zealand A side for disciplinary reasons amounting to "gross insult to the system".
"Gowtham opted out of the Duleep Trophy game during the first match and even produced a medical certificate that he was unwell. Two days later, he was found playing in the Karnataka Premier League. This is a gross insult to the system. A player can't take a national-level tournament for granted like this. The board is looking into this incident and till the inquiry is over, he will not be picked for India A team," BCCI CEO Rahul Johri was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
In case you didn't know...
K Gowtham is one of the better all-rounders in the country. His heroics helped him get a place in the India A team that faced Australia earlier this year.
He also toured South Africa with the India A side to play in the two-match first-class series against the hosts. In the 2017 IPL, he was bought by Mumbai Indians for INR 2 crores.
The details
The offie was a part of the India Red squad in the 2017 Duleep Trophy and had a very good outing in the team's first match against India Green that saw him take five-wickets in the first innings. Unfortunately, he fell sick on the penultimate day of the match and didn't take the field on the final day.
He opted out of India Red's second fixture against India Blue and produced a medical certificate that stated that he was suffering from typhoid. However, he was spotted playing for Belgavi Panthers in the KPL.
What's next?
According to the same reports, BCCI is likely to initiate an inquiry into the matter, pending which he will not be considered for India A selection.
Author's take
Without a doubt, the Duleep Trophy is one of India's most historic tournaments and features current Indian players who are proving their fitness and discards who are playing to seal their spot in the team.
All the players, including the Indian skipper Virat Kohli, should respect a national tournament and take part in it if he is asked to. What Gowtham did is disgraceful and if found guilty, he deserves to be punished.