It all started in the second week of November when the BCCI sent out a press release saying that India’s captain Virat Kohli has been granted paternity leave and will fly back home after the first test against Australia. in Adelaide to be with his wife Anushka Sharma for the birth of their first child. Since then, there have been some changes on the Indian side, both limited and trial. Questions have remained about the availability of Rohit Sharma and India has lost the ODI series after its players gave up more than 750 runs in the first two matches. But the conversation about Virat Kohli’s paternity leave refuses to die.
Many prominent former cricketers voiced their opinion on the matter. The name of the legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar also appeared in the discussion. Reports began to circulate about how BCCI had refused to grant Gavaskar paternity leave in the 1975-76 season prior to the West Indies series.
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Gavaskar has now shed some light on the matter and shared what really happened during that time.
“While this is correct, the circumstances of that request were not entirely clear and therefore there is an attempt to clarify things here,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for noon.
Gavaskar said he did not ask the board for permission.
“In the first place, I did not ask for permission to be with my wife again during the delivery. When I went with the Indian team for the twin tour (1975-76) of New Zealand and the West Indies, I knew the baby would come while I was gone. I was committed to playing for India and my wife supported me to the hilt. “
Gavaskar was injured in the third test against New Zealand and was advised to take a break for a few weeks.
“Doctors advised a four-week break from the game to recover. The next test match was in the West Indies in about three weeks and since I wasn’t going to be able to play in the meantime, I asked our manager, the legendary Polly Umrigar, if I could come back on my own for a few days and meet with him. team in the West Indies long before the First Test. So there was no doubt that I was missing a test match other than due to injury. In fact, I played the first test even though the doctor had recommended a week off, ”added Gavaskar.
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