Controversial Kiwi player roped in by Chennai Super Kings

The player, who was on the bench for the game against Mumbai Indians on Wednesday, is likely to find a place in the playing XI.

However, the decision to include Scott evoked a mixed response from CSK loyalists as the player has had a chequered past. The 27-year-old son of a former NZ cricketer  was accused of rape in 2015. However, despite his admitting that the woman refused to respond to his advances, he still persisted. Later, a jury eventually ruled in favour of the cricketer who was cleared of all charges in 2017.

The Super Kings announced his arrival on its official Twitter handle by saying: “The answer to every #SuperFan’s question in the last couple of days: Scott Kuggeleijn from Hamilton, NZ!” A few fans were unhappy with the choice, and one reacted by saying, “Harbhajan said he would refrain from travelling with Hardik Pandya when he is with his wife, now what’s your say for Kuggeleijn who is a rape accused?”

“We aren’t aware of his background. We saw him play during the T20I series against India in Feb. The management picked him purely based on his T20 skill-sets,” said K Viswanathan, CEO, CSK,  when contacted by DT Next on Friday.