Deepak Hooda Threatens Leadership Resignation After Rajasthan Squad Disagreement

The issue arose from the exclusion of Kunal Singh Rathore, whom Hooda had referred for retaining in the squad, but the ad-hoc committee opted otherwise. About this dispute, ad-hoc panel member Mr. Dharmveer added a new splash to the controversy and said,

These things happen when there are several people trying to make a decision. The more heads, the more the opinions. It isn’t wrong and it is not a controversy. The captain wanted wicketkeeper-batter Kunal Singh Rathore to continue even though he hasn’t performed for a while now. He has hit only one fifty in his last three games. We have been accommodating enough to include the captain and coach in all our team selection meetings. Kunal didn’t make the initial 15 but the captain was not willing to take the field without him. We decided to listen to him because he felt his addition would be good for the team. I had a chat with the convenor and captain. I just wished (Kunal) Rathore well. We all want him to perform. It is just that we felt Rajkumar Saini would have been a good choice. He has done well in the domestic circuit.

Tensions reportedly escalated to the point where both Hooda and the vice-captain threatened to resign from their leadership roles. However, the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) intervened, urging the duo to continue until at least the crucial match against Hyderabad which could be a turning point for them. Ultimately, the RCA conceded to Hooda’s request regarding squad selection. Hooda, who previously played for Baroda before moving to Rajasthan in 2020 after a fallout with Krunal Pandya, is now leading his team in the match against Hyderabad, where they currently trail with Hyderabad at 191/4.