KL Rahul's picture post on social media discomforts the BCCI

Indian batsman Lokesh Rahul fell into an uncomfortable situation when the BCCI sent an advisory to the team mentioning that the pictures the players posted on social media were not comfortable with the cricket body. The wicketkeeper-batsman from Bangalore had earlier posted a picture of the players relaxing on a beach with beers during a day’s outing at St. Nevis. India is currently touring the Caribbean islands for a four-match test series against the West Indies.

Rahul later deleted the post from social media to avoid any further complications. The cricketer was called up for the India’s tour of Zimbabwe last month and scored a century on his debut in an ODI, the first Indian to do so. He has also played five Tests and scored a century on his second Test cap against Australia in Sydney, back in 2015.

“Some of the BCCI officials aren’t happy with players posting such images on social media. There has been no written communication, but the manager has been asked to send a message to the players to ensure that nothing that could set a bad example should be posted online,” a BCCI insider told The Hindu on Thursday.

The picture posted also featured Stuart Binny, Umesh Yadav and a support staff along with Lokesh Rahul with a pint in his hand.

The BCCI feels that cricketers should behave like role models as many children follow them, posting such pictures may reflect a negative image to their admirers. As per the reports of The Hindu, a BCCI official said, “Many kids blindly follow the star cricketers’ actions on and off the field, so our boys have got to always keep that in mind. They should always consider the sense and sensitivities of Indian cricket fans.”

Enjoying the sun on a beach with a beer is a common sight in Australia, South Africa or the West Indies but the BCCI are quite strict about the image and example the players set for their future generations.

India is currently playing a warm-up match against the West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI and the first of the four Tests begins on 21st July in Antigua.