Mumbai University pulls up cricketers for no-show during match

They instead chose to play in the T20 Mumbai League despite declaring their available for the full tournament

Sidak Singh

The Mumbai University has written a letter to the principals of Rizvi College, RA Podar College and Ramniranjan Jhunjhunwala College after seven players of the Mumbai University team did not participate in the third-place match of the All India Inter University tournament recently. They instead chose to play in the T20 Mumbai League despite declaring their available for the full tournament.

As per the letter, which is in possession with mid-day, Mumbai University eventually played with just nine players and lost the third-place match on March 11. The varsity side finished fourth in the tournament. The seven players – Aakarshit Gomel, Usman Mohd Adeeb, Sidak Singh, Sagar Jadhav (all from Rizvi College), Chinmay Sutar, Tanush Kotian (both from Jhunjhunwala College) and Bhupen Lalwani (Podar College) — left Rohtak, where the tournament was conducted, after Mumbai University lost in the semis on March 10. The Mumbai University took a strong view of the seven players' decision to play in the T20 Mumbai League which began the next day (March 11-21).

The letter signed by Dr Uttam Kendre, Mumbai University's director of physical and sports department, reads: "The players got admission under sports quota, so ethically they should play for the college and university matches. Please note that these seven players will not be allowed to play in further inter-college matches. This is primary action against them."

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