Nikhil Chaudhary, a player recently acquitted of rape charges, is expected to return to the Hobart Hurricanes in the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season. However, Cricket Tasmania, the franchise’s governing body, was unaware of the criminal proceedings against Chaudhary until after the verdict.
Chaudhary joined the Hurricanes in late 2023 and had his contract extended to 2027 in February, just a month before his trial. Cricket Tasmania’s high performance general manager, Salliann Beams, expressed disappointment that Chaudhary had not disclosed the charges or court proceedings to the organization.
“It’s not so much the incident because we know that nothing happened … legally not guilty and everything,” Beams said. “It’s just the disclosure of information. We want to know where we sit on that because we were completely in the dark.”
Beams acknowledged the legal complexities surrounding the situation, noting that Chaudhary was advised not to discuss the matter. However, she emphasized the importance of transparency and the potential impact on the franchise’s reputation.
“You have to deal with the organization’s point of view and the impact that it could potentially have on that,” she said. “Because you don’t really want to associate yourself with … that type of investigation.”
Despite the concerns, Beams indicated that Chaudhary is likely to play in the upcoming BBL season. “There are some legalities through that process,” she said. “But at the same time, you can understand from the players’ point of view is that, you know, they’ve done nothing wrong and it’s a scary place.”
Chaudhary played nine games for the Hurricanes in the previous BBL season, averaging 26 with the bat and taking five wickets. The team missed out on the finals.
