Mohammed Shami Slams Sanjiv Goenka's Public Reprimand of KL Rahul

Star pacer Mohammed Shami has strongly condemned the public reprimand of his India teammate KL Rahul by Lucknow Super Giants team owner Sanjiv Goenka, calling it "shameful" and inappropriate for sports.

Goenka's animated confrontation with Rahul after Lucknow Super Giants' record-breaking defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad has sparked widespread criticism. Shami, the first Indian cricketer to speak out against the incident, expressed his disapproval in a recent interview.

"Crores of people are watching you and learning from you. If these things happen in front of cameras, and you see such reactions on screen, it's shameful," Shami said. "You should have boundaries in your communication, and this sends a very wrong message."

Shami emphasized the importance of maintaining respect and professionalism in sports, regardless of the outcome of a match. He believes that such public confrontations undermine the integrity of the game and set a poor example for young players.

"It's a team game; it isn't a big thing if the plan isn’t successful. Anything is possible in the game. I understand there can be good or bad days, but every player has respect, and there's a way to talk," Shami said.

He added that while disagreements and heated moments can occur in the heat of competition, they should be handled privately and not in front of the public.

"A player talking to another player is different, but someone from the outside discussing something with the player is different. We are only speculating from what we are seeing, and only KL Rahul can tell what the conversation was about, but these kinds of reactions do not have any place in sports," Shami said.

Shami's comments have been widely supported by fans and fellow cricketers, who believe that Goenka's behavior was unacceptable. The incident has raised questions about the role of team owners in professional sports and the need for clear boundaries in player-owner interactions.

Tags: #IPL, #Cricket, #LucknowSuperGiants, #SanjivGoenka, #KL