U19 sensation Rajvardhan Hangargekar accused of Age Fudging

Rajvardhan Hangargekar, the right-arm pacer has been accused of age fudging by the commissioner of the Sports Department, Maharashtra, Omprakash Bakoria.

Here’s what exactly happened :

The commissioner of the Sports Department, Maharashtra accused Rajvardhan Hangargekar has committed age fudging. The letter has been sent to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It has been reported that the evidence is also presented to the BCCI.

‘The right-arm pacer’s age is 21’: Marathi newspaper Saamana

It was mentioned in the Saamna publication that, during readmission in class VIII, Hangargekar’s birth date was changed from January 10, 2001, to November 10, 2002, and that made him eligible for the U19 World Cup 2022.

Hangargekar, the right-arm pacer has the rare ability to bowl at the speed of 140-plus consistently. He came out as a sensation for the U19 World Cup 2022 winners team India. He played six matches and picked up five wickets. Experts were impressed by the speed he has got at such a young age. The small town boy has represented Maharashtra in Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy and Vijay Hazare trophy 2021.

During the recently concluded mega auction, Hangargekar was bought by MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings for a whopping amount of Rs 1.5 crore.

Here’s how Hangargekar reacted after being picked by Chennai Super Kings :

“I have always been a die-hard fan of MS Dhoni, my father used to like CSK a lot, he really loved Dhoni and he always wanted me to play for CSK. I am really happy to play with his franchise,”

“Everyone wants to play in the IPL, by the time my name came up in the auction, that was the amount I got excited about. When MI and CSK were fighting it out for me in the auction, that was a great moment for me”

“Winning the U19 World Cup was a really good moment for all of us, this thing we will cherish for our entire life.”

However, Hangargekar is now doubtful to feature in this year’s IPL for Chennai Super Kings after the incident. Experts too, remain sceptical about his participation in the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League.