Hardik Pandya has made his first public appearance since being banned for his controversial comments on ‘Koffee With Karan’.
The under-fire Indian cricketer, currently serving an indefinite ban, was spotted at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai on Saturday, 19 January.
Pandya, along with fellow India teammate KL Rahul, was sent home from the tour of Australia after a furore over the pair’s comments on the popular chat show hosted by Bollywood supremo Karan Johar.
Pandya was blasted for making racist and misogynistic statements in the episode, which aired on 6 January and was later pulled down by Hotstar.
Pandya was clicked along with brother and fellow India cricketer Krunal, as the duo made their way into the Mumbai airport.
Pandya and Rahul’s fate hangs in the balance, and is now set to be decided by the Supreme Court of India after the two-member Committee of Administrators failed to arrive on a consensus over adequate punishment for the banned pair.
Both Pandya and Rahul were originally named in India’s squads for limited overs series in Australia and New Zealand. With their bans announced on 11 January, the pair missed the entire three-match ODI series in Australia, and now appear set to miss the New Zealand tour as well with no further decision announced as of yet.
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