Foes turn teammates

Bengaluru, Feb. 12: In his own words, all-rounder Deepak Hooda was left “demoralised, depressed and under pressure” after a well documented spat with his Baroda state team captain, Krunal Pandya.

England’s swashbuckling batter Jos Buttler and India’s premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had not seen eye to eye for a long time owing to a controversial run out episode during the 2019 edition of the lucrative league.

However, the 2022 IPL mega auction, besides forcing the 10 franchises to break the banks in order to get their favourite players, has done another thing: turn these foes into teammates.

Ashwin, who had appeared for the Delhi Capitals in the 2020 and 2021 editions of the tournament, will thus have a reunion with Buttler — one of the three players retained by the RR franchise alongside captain Sanju Samson and Indian youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal.

The incident involving Ashwin and Buttler made headlines during RR’s home match against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in Jaipur on March 25, when the former ran out the Englishman at the nonstrikers end after the batter had backed up too far.

Same will be the case with Hooda and Krunal at Lucknow Super Giants.

Last year, before the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy all-rounder Hooda left the bio-bubble after a spat with his Baroda captain Krunal.

In a mail sent to BCA, Hooda made a series of allegations against Krunal, including trying to pull him down and warning him that he would ensure he did not play for Baroda again.

After accusing Krunal of misbehaviour, and leaving the team hotel a day before the start of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, vice-captain Hooda too found himself in the dock for misconduct. —