Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has called for the accused in the Australian cricketers’ harassment case to be locked in prison and the keys to be thrown away. Referring to the incident as “heinous”, the 76-year-old said that the accused deserved strict punishment for what he had done in Indore, adding that India was known for its “Atithi Devo Bhava” mindset.
In the aforementioned incident, two Australian cricketers were harassed in Indore on Thursday morning. The accused was later arrested, and the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association as well as the BCCI issued statements condemning the incident.
“It is, without question, a heinous incident. The law will take its course, but I do hope that the guilty person is punished severely – you lock them up and throw away the key. That’s the only way, I think. Just lock him up and throw the keys away,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“Yes, I think because we are famous for Atithi Devo Bhava, to hear of this is very, very sad,” he added.
The Indian board, in its statement, said that it was a “stray incident” and lauded the action taken by the state police in this issue.
“It is a very condemnable but stray incident. India is known for its hospitality and care. We have zero tolerance for such incidents. We appreciate the State Police (Madhya Pradesh) for their prompt action to nab the culprit. Let the law take its course to punish the culprit. We assure to revisit our safety protocols if required to further tighten the security,” board secretary Devajit Saikia said in the statement.
Australia won their last league phase fixture against South Africa by seven wickets to set up a semifinal clash against India at Navi Mumbai on Thursday. Alana King produced a magical spell of 7/18 to help bundle the Proteas out for 97 runs.
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The 2025 World Cup semifinal lineup is exactly the same as 2017 World Cup, where India beat Australia while England defeated South Africa. The hosts – England – then went on to win the World Cup by beating India in the final at Lord’s.
