Star India player comments on Sanjiv Goenka's animated chat with KL Rahul

Following a shocking 10-wicket defeat to the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of the Lucknow Super Giants, expressed his frustration on the side-lines towards his team’s captain, KL Rahul. However, Indian pace-bowling leader Mohammed Shami stepped forward to support Rahul.

One of the top performers for India in the ODI World Cup 2023, Shami is currently sidelined from IPL 2024 due to a right heel injury, the pace bowler remarked that the incident was regrettable. The star India pacer also conveyed his dissatisfaction with it occurring publicly. It is also not the first time when a rift between player and owners have come to light.

“Players have respect, and you are a respectful person, too, as you are an owner. Many people are watching you and learning from you. If these things happen in front of cameras, yeh sharam ki baat hai (it’s a matter of shame),” said Shami while speaking to Cricbuzz.

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It wasn’t necessary to do it on the field: Mohammed Shami

Shami continued his backing of Rahul, stressing that surprises, victories, and defeats are commonplace in sports. He remarked that Goenka could have communicated his feelings to Rahul differently, likely in a private setting. Shami believed that the confrontation conveyed an inaccurate notion of how dissatisfaction should be addressed.

“If you have to do that, there are many different ways. You could’ve done the same thing in the dressing room or the hotel. It wasn’t necessary to do it on the field. It’s a team game; if the plan isn’t successful, it isn’t a big thing. Anything is possible in the game. I understand there can be good or bad days, but every player has respect, and there’s a way to talk. This sends a very wrong message,” the star India pacer concluded.