Sunil Gavaskar fumes after two Australian women cricketers 'touched inappropriately' in Indore: ‘Lock him up, throw…’

The accused has been arrested, and further investigation is underway. Reacting to the incident, Gavaskar said that he hopes the man is put behind bars for a long time, as the incident is truly sad and brings a bad name to the country.

“Yes, I think because we are famous for Atithi Devo Bhava, to hear of this is very, very sad,” Gavaskar told India Today.

"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," he added.

Also Read: Indore man stalks and molests Australian women cricketers before World Cup match; arrested after official complaint

It is worth mentioning that as soon as the incident happened, the two players reported the matter to their security liaison officer and the police were called upon. After the statements were taken, the accused was arrested.

According to the Madhya Pradesh Police, two cricketers were stalked, and one of them was molested by a man identified as Akil Khan. The incident happened in the Khajrana Road area.

BCCI reacts

Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had also reacted to the development, stating that the act is condemnable and the body follows a zero-tolerance policy for such incidents.

“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," BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said in an official statement.

Speaking of the Women's World Cup 2025, Australia defeated South Africa by seven wickets in their final group stage match in Indore, setting up a semi-final clash against Harmanpreet Kaur's India.

With this win, Australia topped the group stage with 13 points from seven matches. The side won six matches, while one ended in a no-result.

Click here to read article