The TV sting operation may have blown the lid on the murkier side of the IPL but the families of the players under the scanner are being forced into self-imposed isolation.
Having to answer queries from all kinds of people about the scandal, these families have decided to snap ties with
the rest of the world until the verdict is out.
Mohnish Mishra, the promising batsman from Madhya Pradesh, was seen as the next big thing from the state after JP Yadav's brief stint with the India team. Those hopes were strengthened with his selection in the IPL - first Deccan Chargers and then Pune Warriors. But the sting operation has put brakes on his cricketing career.
Mishra's parents were shell-shocked when the sting operation went on air. After watching Mishra on TV, his father, a government employee, even went on record to say that they would snap all ties with their only son if he is found guilty.
His mother also admitted that the player has landed himself in a soup due to his habit of exaggerating things.
However, with queries about their son growing with each passing day, they have decided to keep a low profile.
"They keep to themselves, even when in public. His father prefers not to take any calls on his mobile or landline as they are fed up with questions about their son. They can be contacted only through their daughter's number but it depends on the identity of the caller," said an insider.
Mishra's teenaged sister is an athlete, and had won gold in a district-level swimming competition.
Mishra himself has been told to stay away from the media glare. A PWI teammate of Mishra admitted that no one had heard anything from him in the past couple of days.