Mumbai spinner faces media for the first time since his release from Tihar jail over his alleged involvement in the spot fixing scandal
Ankeet Chavan, released on bail on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in the Indian Premier League spot fixing scandal, thanked his family and friends for standing by him ever since the explosive development came to light on May 16.
Ankeet Chavan tackles the media at his residence in Dadar yesterday. PIC/Sameer Markande
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Although the left-arm spinner didn’t mention his wife Neha specifically, deep inside his heart he couldn’t have thanked her enough for her support.u00a0Chavan’s arrest came at a time when the Mumbai spinner was only a few weeks away from tying the knot with his longtime girlfriend on June 2.u00a0
Things could have gone worse for Chavan, had Neha backed out thinking about the stigma that one attaches to fixing. But she remained undeterred. u00a0“Ankeet knew that Neha would not leave him just because of all this mess.
“They were dating each other for more than eight years and know each other very well. Such a thought did not even cross her mind. She has shown tremendous courage,” Ankeet’s brother Nihar told MiD DAY.
Ankit’s wife Neha during their wedding on June 2. PIC/Bipin Kokate
Yesterday, Chavan faced the media for the first time since his release from Tihar jail. The usually lonely Dilip Gupte Road near Shivaji Park had turned into a busy, noisy street. The huge number of media personnel waiting outside Chavan’s house resulted in traffic and chaos.
Living in hope
The trauma of spending 27 days in jail was quite evident on the 27-year-old’s face, whose eye area was swollen. Chavan refused to take questions and simply made a statement before beating a hasty retreat.
He hoped that he could revive his cricketing career after getting a positive verdict from the judiciary. “I am really happy to be with my family. I would like to thank my lawyer Kishore Gaekwad, who has worked a lot for me. Secondly, my family and friends, they have supported me a lot,” a relieved Chavan said.
As far as his cricket is concerned, he said: “I have always given my 100 per cent, have always played my cricket with a lot of passion. u00a0“I just hope that I get a positive result from the judiciary, so that I can start my career again and get my cricket where it was.”u00a0
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