What’s the story?
Ramdas Athawale, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment voiced his concerns about the ICC Champions Trophy final between India and Pakistan, stating that the match was fixed.
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, the RPI (A) leader from Maharashtra questioned, "How could the cricketers, who played so well in the entire tournament, not perform in the final match (in London on June 18)?"
He went as far as to allege that Indian captain Virat Kohli and veteran batsman Yuvraj Singh did not show any intent to win on that day. "In the match against Pakistan, someone like Virat Kohli who scores a century so often and other accomplished players like Yuvraj Singh, who has scored so many runs in the past, looked like they were playing to lose."
"It appears that the match was fixed and we demand an inquiry into it," he concluded.
The context
India had gone into the Champions Trophy final as overwhelming favourites against an unpredictable Pakistan side. It was the same side that Kohli and his men had defeated with considerable ease in a group fixture. However, on the day of the final, the Indians were completely outplayed on the field.
After being asked to bat first, Pakistan racked up a big total courtesy of a superb century by Fakhar Zaman. India never looked like they were in the game and eventually suffered a heavy 180-run defeat.
The heart of the matter
In the final, Kohli had elected to bowl first on a flat deck after winning the toss – a decision that later turned out to be catastrophic.
Athawale, meanwhile, even went on to question how Anil Kumble and Kohli, who was in such good form, could fail on such a big day? He also revealed that he saw the humiliating defeat against Pakistan as a major act of disrespect to India.
Previously, Indian actor Kamaal R Khan claimed that the Champions Trophy final was fixed and the ICC was involved in it.
The politician also batted for 25 per cent reservation for Dalits and tribals in cricket and other games, expressed his views on the recent attacks by cow vigilantes and spoke about GST.
Parallels from history
Earlier this year, some people had alleged that the IPL final had been fixed. In that case, however, the allegations were not completely baseless. A few hours before the final, a Twitter user had tweeted nine predictions, eight of which turned out to be correct.
Author’s take
Kohli’s decision to bowl first might have shocked many but it was not at all sudden. The Indian team are known for chasing down big targets and it was logical to play to their strengths.
Coming to the heavy defeat and the poor performances from the star players, that is what makes cricket so special. It is a game after all, and on any day an individual or a team can falter. Remember the 2014 World Cup semi-final, Brazil fans?
To conclude, Athawale’s allegations are completely unfounded.
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