"He successfully ruined a guy's career!" - Twitterati blames Krunal Pandya for Deepak Hooda's decision to leave the Baroda cricket team
Punjab Kings all-rounder Deepak Hooda has chosen to leave the Baroda Ranji team and join Rajasthan before the commencement of the upcoming season. Many former cricketers and experts felt that it would be a loss to Baroda as Hooda is still young and could have served the side for a long time to come.
Indian cricket fans took notice of this development and expressed their opinions on Twitter. Most fans unanimously blamed Krunal Pandya for Hooda's exit from the side. Last year, the duo allegedly had a showdown and Deepak Hooda later publicly accused Krunal of abusing him. However, the Baroda team authorities suspended Hooda for a whole season on disciplinary grounds.
So ahead of the new season, Deepak Hooda decided to break ties with his home side and reportedly obtained a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the state board to join the Rajasthan Ranji team.
Fans reacted furiously and took to Twitter to criticize Krunal Pandya for his arrogant behavior. Here are some of the reactions:
Deepak Hooda leaving is a huge loss: Former Baroda player Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan came out in support of Deepak Hooda in these tough times. The former Indian player questioned his state's agenda and shared his displeasure at seeing young talented players leave the side due to disputes.
"How many cricket associations will lose out on a player who is in the Indian team probables list? Deepak Hooda leaving Baroda cricket is a huge loss. He could have easily given his services for another ten years as he is still young. As a Barodian, it’s utterly disappointing!" said Irfan Pathan.
In the coming months, Deepak Hooda will participate in the second half of the IPL 2021, where he will turn up for Punjab Kings. The all-rounder scored 116 runs across eight matches in the March leg of the tournament, at a healthy strike rate of 143.20 with the highest score of 64.