According to a report in Sportstar, Hooda, who is the captain of Rajasthan, “went out of control” on the eve of the fifth-round Ranji Trophy match as he skipped the training session in protest over selection matters that has bothered him and the team coach since the start of the tournament.

“This has been an issue since the start of the season. There have been multiple disagreements over player selection between the ad hoc panel and the captain and coach. However, yesterday, things got a bit out of control as the captain, although he came for the practice session, continued to sit out. He was constantly on his phone, busy on calls with the ad hoc committee members and the Sports Minister (Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore),” a source in the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA), on conditions of anonymity, revealed.

The report further revealed that an ad hoc committee member later threatened to leave the panel if his suggestions were not considered. The panel was formed in March earlier this year in a bid to oversee cricket activities and help hold elections of the state body. The committee is led by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Jaideep Bihani, while Ratan Singh is the convener, who is assisted by Pawan Goyal, Dharmveer Singh Shekhawat and Harish Singh.

What sparked Deepak Hooda’s act?

Dharmveer revealed that the Rajasthan captain wanted to back wicketkeeper-batter Kunal Singh Rathore despite his meagre returns with the bat, contrary to the ad hoc panel suggestion, although he insisted that it was merely a difference in opinion and not a controversy.

He said, “These things happen when there are a number of people trying to make a decision. The more the heads, more the opinions. It isn’t wrong and it is not a controversy. The captain wanted wicketkeeper-batter Kunal Singh Rathore to continue despite the fact that he hasn’t performed for a while now. He has hit only one fifty in his last three games.”

Despite the differences, Hooda was part of the team meeting ahead of the Hyderabad game and was supported by the coach and vice-captain Deepak Chahar.

Dharmveer said, “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.”