India, Jan. 21 -- On January 18, 2026, when the Kerala Strikers took the field for their first match of CCL2026, after missing the last season owing to 'unavoidable circumstances', what took fans by surprise was that one of the team's longest-playing members, Rajeev Pillai, was not on the squad, and was, in fact, playing against them with the Mumbai Heroes. This, of course, did not sit well with fans, who called out the actor for deserting the team.

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Rajeev has now come forward to clear the air - he didn't leave the Kerala Strikers; they left him out. When the Strikers announced a 22-member squad, it did not include Rajeev, even though he has consistently...