The All India Tennis Federation’s (AITA) decision not to consider Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna to play for India till June 2014 for refusing to team up with Leander Paes for August’s London Games is not a bolt from the blue.

Bhupathi and Bopanna shouldn’t be too surprised at the punishment meted out since they virtually refused to represent their country on the biggest sporting stage. No one can be bigger than the game even though Mahesh has done India proud in the past and still has some fuel left to overcome reputed opponents.