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Journalism of Courage
A few days back, Rajasthan players were in for a shock as they turned up for their routine pre-match practice session at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. For, waiting for them there was Rajat Bhatia, who they were informed was their latest teammate.
Their astonishment though was justified, considering that the veteran all-rounder had been a regular member of the Delhi outfit for years before being dropped earlier this season. Not to forget that the Rajasthan team, who are now governed by a court-appointed ad-hoc committee, hadn’t even been informed about Bhatia’s arrival.
What was most surprising though is that Bhatia had been roped in for Rajasthan well after the transfer deadline of September 30, which has been set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) themselves. When asked about how the BCCI had allowed them to over-turn the deadline, Amrit Mathur, the ad-hoc committee’s co-ordinator, insisted they had followed all procedures. “He sought permission from the BCCI to play for Rajasthan. He spoke to selectors and later he was picked. Rajasthan needs a utility player and Bhatia surely has plenty of experience with him. That is why he was picked,” he said. Mathur didn’t believe that any rule was flouted.
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“The selection was done as per the procedures to gauge his eligibility,” he added.
Bhatia, 35, was a regular in the Delhi team for close to a decade before he was uncermoniously left out earlier this season. Many had thought that it signalled the end of the diminutive all-rounder’s impressive career, where he averaged 48.16 with the bat and 28.25 with the ball. But Bhatia’s delighted to have got an opportunity to prolong his first-class career—he’s five short of completing 100 matches in the longer format—even if has come about in unexpected circumstances.
“I got a call from Amrit Mathur a few days ago, asking whether I was interested in playing for Rajasthan. I was doing nothing and sitting idle at home. So I took the opportunity to play for Rajasthan. They asked me to submit a NOC to BCCI straightaway. The NOC was cleared by the BCCI,” he said.
The NOC needs to be cleared by BCCI secretary, Anurag Thakur, and as has been learnt he did so immediately. Bhatia doesn’t want to get involved in the issue regarding his eligibility and instead admits that being dropped by Delhi at the start of the season proved to be a blessing in disguise.
“I was upset when Delhi dropped me. But it’s good they did so without I having played a single match for them this season. That would have meant I couldn’t have moved anywhere,” said Bhatia.
Though his sudden inclusion in their mix might have caused a few raised eyebrows in the Rajasthan camp, the former two-time Ranji champions can do with a gutsy veteran like Bhatia in the mix. They presently languish at 8th in the Group A table, with just four points in three matches and only Haryana below them.
A failure to resurrect their season could easily result in relegation for Rajasthan. Bhatia’s presence though will boost both their batting and bowling resources, and bring much-needed stability in the middle. Bhatia believes so as well. “I have not followed Rajasthan cricket too closely this season, but I have the experience to help them, and I hope to do so in whatever matches I get to play for the remainder of the season,” he added.
Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.
