"Why would I do it for 10 lakhs?" - S Sreesanth reveals details behind IPL spot-fixing saga

Former India pacer S Sreesanth has finally opened up on the 2013 spot-fixing scandal in the IPL, in which he was banned along with a couple of other players from Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Giving his version of the story, Sreesanth told Sportskeeda in an exclusive interview:

“This is the first interview in which I am sharing or explaining it. It was supposed to be one over and 14-plus runs. I bowled four balls for five runs. No no-ball, no wide and not a single slower ball in an IPL game. I was bowling at 130-plus after 12 surgeries on my toe.”

Sreesanth revealed he was trying to make a comeback to the Indian team following his recovery from injuries.

“I had played the Irani Trophy and was looking to play the South African series, so that we can win in September 2013. We were going early, and it moves better in September. My goal was to play that series. A person like that, why would I do it, that too for 10 lakhs?, I am not talking big but I used to have bills of around 2 lakh when I partied around."

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"If I had so much cash, I would have been spraying it out" - S Sreesanth

Sreesanth has said that he used to make most of his personal payments by card and not by cash. He added that the prayers of his well wishers helped him to get out of the rut.

"I used to pay with my card not cash. If I had so much of cash, I would have been spraying it out. In fact, I used to take care of even a normal person."

"In my life, I have only helped and given belief. I have helped a lot of people, and those prayers helped me get out of this. All I would ask is - two balls, five runs, two balls to go. How would I give away all that I had invested? No way,” the Kerala cricketer concluded.

After his ban was lifted, Sreesanth returned to competitive cricket earlier this year in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He played five matches for Kerala, claiming four wickets at a strike rate of 27 and an economy rate of 9.88.

Sreesanth made his international debut in 2005, in an ODI against Sri Lanka in Nagpur. He became part of Indian cricketing folklore when he took the catch of Mishbah-ul-Haq to seal the team’s victory in the 2007 World Cup final. He was also part of the playing XI that lifted the 2011 50-over World Cup four years later.

In the longer version, his finest moment came when he claimed eight wickets in India’s maiden Test win in South Africa - Johannesburg 2006. Sreesanth ended his international career with 27 Tests, 53 ODIs and 10 T20Is, claiming a total of 169 scalps.