Siddharth Trivedi was all but prepared to represent Rajasthan Royals in the Champions League T20, when he was handed a one-year ban for failing to report after he was approached by bookies during the Indian Premier League.
Heartbroken, the Royals medium pacer is now restricted to watching the games on TV and engages in occasional chats with his team mates to feel a part of the proceedings. In an exclusive chat with this paper, Trivedi shares what he has been through in the last few months.
Excerpts:

QThe Royals are playing their best cricket at the moment and you are watching from the sidelines...
Most of my time these days is spent in front of the TV, watching the team play. I am happy that they are in great form and have made it to the semis under a legend like Rahul Dravid. It definitely pinches me that I couldn’t be a part of it.
QWhat has the spot-fixing controversy taught you?
I feel betrayed... shattered. It has taught me not to trust anyone easily, be it even my team mates and be only focused on the game. Hopefully, it will help me understand more about some people and their ulterior motives.
Also, it has brought me more close to my family. I was touched when my parents and wife said proudly that they feel I have done nothing wrong. Their belief is my strength.

QHow did you get involved despite a thorough education process by the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit to the players?
All this happened way before the last IPL. Ab agar achanak se koi chor nikal aaye to mein kya kar sakta hun? (What can I do if suddenly someone is declared a thief?) I met a few people in 2012 because Ajit Chandila introduced them to me as his cousins and family. And it is normal to be cordial to your team mate’s family. I never suspected anything was wrong until I saw all this on TV and that too a year later. They had turned out to be bookies, but it was my bad luck that I had met an year ago.

QWhy didn’t you report then?
How could I when I didn’t even know they were bookies? I met a few people thinking they are cousins of my team mate. Even of there was a hint of something wrong, the IPL wasn’t going on. We were not playing and things went on very normal during last year’s tournament too until all this happened.
Yes, in hindsight it could have been a mistake. And I am paying for it. I went when the police asked to come and decided to help as much I could. I became a prosecution witness and told them everything I knew.
Mein to acha karne gaya tha, par sab bura ho gaya mere sath (I had gone to do something positive, but it all turned against me).

QWere you expecting a ban?
Honestly, no. I was thinking that since all this happened during the IPL, they would at most ban me from that tournament for some time. Also after I had co-operated in every possible manner, I was expecting leniency.

QWhat was the response from your Royals’ team mates?
I have spoken to several of them and everyone, including the management and the captain, and they have been very supportive of me. They said they felt bad about me and wished me luck.

QWhat next for you?
I am out for a year, without any competitive cricket. I will train hard in Ahmedabad, working on my fitness and game. It is tough without proper games and competition, but I am committed to returning stronger.