THIS former spot-fixing accused gets appointed as Mumbai's Under-14 head coach

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has appointed a former Rajasthan Royals (RR) player, who was one of the accused in the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing scandal. Yes, you read it right! His name is Ajeet Chavan. Ankeet Chavan was among the three RR players who were banned for lifetime for their role in the spot-fixing scandal, which also ended their career prematurely. However, the Indian cricket board reduced Ankeet's ban to 7 years, allowing him to return to the sport with a new role. Ankeet Chavan has played in 13 IPL matches, 18 first-class matches, and 20 List-A games in his career.

Chavan's life after ban

Even after the lifetime ban, Chavan remained active in club cricket and played for Karnataka Sports Club in Mumbai. He also passed the Level 1 coaching exam later. The other two players who faced a lifetime ban along with Chavan are S Sreesanth and Ajit Chandila.

The Delhi trial court acquitted all three players in 2015 due to a lack of evidence, following which BCCI upheld the ban until June 2021, which was ultimately reduced to 7 years.

'This is a second innings for me', says Chavan

While speaking to the Indian Express, Ankeet Chavan said, ''This is a second innings for me, and I am eagerly looking forward to it. There is always a chance to make a comeback in life. I want to thank the Mumbai Cricket Association for putting their faith in me. Coaching has always been on my mind, and I am aware of the challenges that lie ahead. At the Under-14 level, I want to focus on developing the players’ basic techniques to help them improve their game.''

On Wednesday, the MCA announced other coaching and selection updates, with Omkar Salvi continuing as head coach of the Ranji Trophy squad. The former Indian cricketer Sandeep Patil will also remain chairman of the selection committee.