Mumbai, Apr 9 (IANS): Former India cricketer and coach Ravi Shastri has termed spinner Yuzvendra Chahal's revelations that he was hung from the 15th-floor hotel balcony by an inebriated fellow cricketer during the 2013 IPL, as shocking, adding that if such an incident happens now the person should be "given a life ban" and "sent to a rehab centre as quickly as possible".
Rajasthan Royals player Chahal had revealed a terrifying incident during IPL 2013 in Bengaluru on Friday when he was hung from a high-rise hotel balcony by an drunk bully cricketer, which left him "kind of fainted".
Chahal was then in his last year with IPL franchise Mumbai Indians, before he started a long stint with the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) that ended after IPL 2021. Chahal's revelation against the unnamed cricketer outraged his fans, who demanded strict action against the perpetrator from the Indian cricket board.
"(It's) no laughing matter at all. I do not know who the person is. (He) was not in a conscious state of mind. If that's the case, then it is a big worry because it is someone's life at risk. People might think it's funny, but for me, it's not funny at all," Shastri told espncricinfo T20 Timeout on Saturday.
"It shows that the person who is trying to do it is in a state that you would say not appropriate. And when you are in that kind of state, and you are trying something, then one mistake... chances of mistakes, are even more in a situation like that. So, it is not acceptable at all," added Shastri.
Chahal had said that he was revealing the story for the first time. "I never shared this. This was from 2013 when I was with Mumbai Indians. We had a match in Bengaluru. There was a get-together after that. So there was a player who was very drunk, I won't say his name. He was very drunk, he was looking at me for a long time and he just called me and he took me outside and he hung me from the balcony.
"And my hands were around him, like this (behind the neck). Had I lost my grip, I was on the 15th floor. Suddenly many people who were there came and they handled it. I kind of fainted, they gave me water. So this was one incident where I felt I made a narrow escape. Had there been the slightest of mistakes, I would've fallen down," the 34-year-old Chahal continued.
Asked if he had encountered something like this in his long professional cricket career, Shastri said, "Never. This is the first time I am hearing something as drastic as this, and it's not funny. If it happens today, (I'd say) life ban for the person involved, as simple as that and send him to a rehab centre as quickly as possible. Let him not come near a cricket field again. Then he will realise how funny it was."
Shastri felt that sensitisation, player education and bringing such incidents to the notice of the authorities was an absolute must.
"You don't want an unfortunate incident for you to wake up... if something like this happens, you've got to step up and tell the people concerned just like you are told by the anti-corruption unit when there is an approach made from someone or the other when it comes to fixing. It's your job to approach the authorities and let them know, otherwise you will be penalised. And that should be exactly the same with something like this," added Shastri.