KL Rahul was seen along with MS Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja and Khaleel Ahmed (BCCI Photo) HIGHLIGHTS Rahul and Pandya's availability for the first ODI remains a mystery BCCI is mulling a two-match ban on the duo on the suggestion of CoA chief Vinod Rai Kohli on Friday slammed the duo's sexist remarks and said that the Indian team doesn't endorse such behaviour India batsman KL Rahul was spotted practicing with the Indian cricketers ahead of the first ODI against Australia on Friday. Rahul has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently after he appeared on the show Koffee with Karan along with Hardik Pandya where the duo made some controversial statements.
Rahul was seen along with MS Dhoni, Kuldeep Yadav, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja and Khaleel Ahmed as the Team India members toiled hard at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
This is the second practice session which the Indian players have enjoyed at the ground as they were forced to practice in the indoor facility due to rain on Thursday.
Even though Rahul was seen at the ground, whether he and Pandya are named in the final squad for the first ODI or not remains a mystery as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is mulling a two-match ban on the duo on the suggestion of Committee of Administrators (COA) chief Vinod Rai.
The #MenInBlue are all set and raring to go ahead of the 1st ODI against Australia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/D2vVjHoGPw
BCCI (@BCCI) January 11, 2019 India captain Virat Kohli on Friday slammed the duo's sexist remarks and said that the Indian team doesn't endorse such behaviour on or off the field.
"From the Indian cricket team point of view, any inappropriate comments that are made in that scenario are something that we definitely don't support and the two concerned players felt what has gone wrong and they have understood the magnitude of what's happened," Kohli said at the SCG ahead of the opening ODI against Australia. "Definitely it has to hit anyone hard, they will definitely understand the things that have not gone right.
"We, definitely, as the Indian cricket team do not support views like that and that has been communicated. I can definitely say that as the Indian cricket team and responsible cricketers we definitely don't align with those views and those are purely individual views."
The 30-year-old further added that the team management will have to wait on the BCCI's decision on Pandya and Rahul before arriving at a conclusion on their final playing XI for the first match of the three-ODI series.
"From the Indian cricket team's point of view, this changes nothing in our beliefs in the change room, it does nothing to the spirit we have have been able to create. Combinations will have to be thought of once the decision comes out," Kohli said.
Hardik Pandya along with his good friend and India teammate, KL Rahul made a few borderline racist and sexist comments on the show, hosted by popular filmmaker Karan Johar.
Pandya boasted about his dates and hookups with multiple women and also narrated how he informed his parents about losing his virginity.
"When I lost my virginity, I came home and said, 'Mein karke aaya hai aaj (I had sex today)'." Pandya had said on the show.
He added: "At a party, my parents asked me acha tera wala [your women] kaun sa hai, so I said yeh, yeh, yeh [pointing out to some women] and they were like 'waah proud of u beta'."
When asked by Karan Johar why he doesn't ask women for their names at nightclubs, Pandya replied: "I like to watch and observe how they (women) move. I'm little from the black side so I need to see how they move."
Also Read | Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul controversy won't affect Indian dressing room: Sunil Gavaskar Also Read | BCCI raises honey trap concerns after Hardik Pandya, Rahul boast of night outs on TV show Also Read | Hardik Pandya responds to BCCI show-cause notice and apologises to India teammates
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