U-19 World Cup hero Manjot Kalra got suspended for 1 year from Ranji Trophy for ‘age-fraud’

Young
left-handed opener Manjot Kalra, who scored a hundred in the final of the last
edition of U-19 World Cup, has been suspended by outgoing DDCA Ombudsman for
one year from playing Ranji Trophy, for an alleged age-fraud during his U-16
and U-19 days.

However for
the same offence, Delhi senior team vice-captain Nitish Rana has been let off
for the time being with more documents being sought to prove that he faked his
age at the junior level.

DDCA’s
outgoing ombudsman, Justice (retd) Badar Durrez Ahmed, whose tenure ended on
December 16, issued the order on a complaint by ex-India cricketer Kirti Azad
and member Sameer Bahadur.

Kalra,
player of the final, could not break into the Ranji side last year. Delhi chief
selector, Bantoo Singh, told sources, “We were thinking of including him, but
now there is an order, we’ll have to abide by it.”

Delhi will
be without India players Shikhar Dhawan and Ishant Sharma, who helped win the
previous game against Hyderabad.

However,
Delhi will retain the services of batsman Nitish Rana, who too faces an
age-fraud enquiry along with Harsh Tyagi, U-19 pacer Shivam Mavi, Prashant
Bhandari and Sarang Rawat.