'I have no connection to cricket whatsoever': Ratan Tata denies claims of Rs 10-cr award to Rashid Khan

Ratan Tata, Emeritus Chairman of Tata Sons, on Monday refuted claims being circulated on WhatsApp that he would give a reward of Rs 10 crore to cricketer Rashid Khan after he was allegedly fined Rs 55 lakh by the ICC for waving the Indian flag after Afghanistan beat Pakistan at a World Cup match in Chennai last week. 

"I have made no suggestions to the ICC or any cricket faculty about any cricket member regarding a fine or reward to any players. I have no connection to cricket whatsoever. Please do not believe WhatsApp forwards and videos of such nature unless they come from my official platforms," clarified Tata on X platform (formerly Twitter). 

Earlier in June, Ratan Tata had taken to X to refute claims of his association with cryptocurrencies amid reports of his investments into them. 

While sharing a morphed screenshot of news article on his Instagram, Ratan Tata said that if you see any articles or ads mentioning his association with cryptos, "they are absolutely untrue and meant to scam citizens".

However, Abra, a Silicon Valley-based Bitcoin startup in 2015 revealed that it had raised money from Ratan Tata and American Express as part of a $12 million Series-A funding round.

The start-up allows users to store digital cash and send money to any smartphone using Abra’s app. Abra earns money when users buy or sell cryptocurrencies on its platform.

Ratan Tata's investment amount in Abra is still undisclosed.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and elected to field against Sri Lanka in the World Cup match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Monday. Rashid Khan made his 100th ODI appearance in national colours.