Ranji Trophy | Manjot Kalra suspended for one year for age-fraud

Ranji Trophy | Manjot Kalra suspended for one year for age-fraud

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India's U-19 batsman Manjot Kalra, who scored a match-winning hundred in the final of the 2018 U-19 World Cup, has been banned from playing the Ranji Trophy for one year due to an age fraud. While Nitish Rana has been given some time to present his documents, Shivam Mavi has been handed to the BCCI.

Young budding star Manjot Kalra has been suspended from playing the Ranji Trophy for one year by the outgoing DDCA Ombudsman after allegedly doing an age-fraud for an U-16 game. The outgoing Ombudsman Justice (Retired) Badr Durrez Ahmed ordered that Kalra would not only be banned from age-group cricket for two years but he will also not be playing Ranji Trophy this season.

Delhi vice-captain Nitish Rana has been spared at the moment giving him some time to present the documents as a proof that he has not done an age-fraud att the U-19 level. While pacer Shivam Mavi has also done an age fraud at the U-19 level, his matter has been handed over to the BCCI since he plays his senior-level cricket for Uttar Pradesh.

“I find it surprising that Manjot Kalra has been punished for the same offence that Nitish Rana is also allegedly guilty of. We couldn’t pick Manjot as it was Ombudsman’s order. He passed it at 11:30 pm at night, a day before he relinquished office. Now that’s a bit bizarre,” DDCA general secretary Vinod Tihara told PTI.

With the Ombudsman changed to Justice Deepak Verma, it will be interesting to see whether he opens up the case and begins fresh talks again, because it is perplexing that Kalra has been banned from playing senior cricket for age-fraud.

“He has been prevented from playing club matches also. Now his parents will have to appeal for a change of order in front of new Ombudsman. Till then DDCA can’t pick him for Ranji Trophy. We are helpless,” Tihara said.

Kalra was all set to replace Shikhar Dhawan in Delhi's Ranji Trophy squad but the age-fraud has changed the entire landscape of the situation and he will have to appeal to Justice Verma to review the order.

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