Ankit Chavan, who was arrested and banned for life from cricket for his involvement in the spot-fixing scandal in 2013, is now eligible to play competitive cricket. The Board of control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has lifted his ban.
Chavan, along with S Sreesanth and Ajit Chandila, was slapped with a lifetime ban while plying his trade for Rajasthan Royals. BCCI Ombudsman Justice (retired) DK Jain reduced their ban to seven years, which officially ended in September last year.
Sreesanth even featured for his Kerala in the 2021/22 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He received his copy of the order last year itself, while Chavan had to wait a little longer.
Chavan said that he is itching to hit the ground as soon as it opens after the monsoon.
‘The ban has been completely over as of September 2020. I am open for whatever [sic] my way. I am really looking forward to getting on the ground as soon as possible,’ Chavan told PTI.
Chavan got a clean chit from a Delhi court more than five years ago due to lack of evidence, but the BCCI had not immediately revoked his ban.
He has so far played 18 First-class fixtures and 13 IPL matches. His most memorable performance was a nine-wicket haul against Punjab in 2012.