Saina Nehwal raised questions about the country’s sports culture after announcing the awards for India’s World Cup-winning cricketers. Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Angkrish Raghuvanshi made controversial comments while replying to badminton star Saina. He apologized amid criticism. After India won the T20 World Cup, the country’s cricket board announced a prize of Tk 125 crore. Later, the Maharashtra government said that they would award the cricketers of that state separately. Badminton player Chirag Shetty criticized the government after this announcement.
He demanded to give equal importance to other sports besides cricket. Saina came forward in support of Chirag. In an interview, he said, “Everyone wants to know what Saina is doing, what wrestlers and boxers are doing, and what Neeraj Chopra is doing. Everyone knows these athletes because they have consistently performed well for the country. Their names appeared in the news. In a country like India, where there is no sports culture, this achievement seems like a dream.”
After Saina’s comment, Raghuvanshi wrote on social media, “I want to see what happens when Bumrah hits his head at 150 kmph.” Raghuvanshi’s comment sparked criticism. Many complain: How can Raghuvanshi, who has just entered the world of cricket, say such things about an athlete like Saina? Every game is different. Just like Saina can’t play Bumrah’s ball, Bumrah too can’t smash the court. Raghuvanshi has lowered the standard of cricket by making such comments about an Olympic-medal star.
Raghuvanshi has apologized amid criticism. In another post on social media, he wrote, “I am sorry. I said those words jokingly. But now it seems that such a thing should not have been said. I realized my mistake. Apologies to everyone.” Raghuvanshi, who played for India’s under-19 team, made his debut in the IPL this time. After Nitish Rana was injured, KKR gave him a chance. He also caught the eye in a few matches. He is considered a future star. In between, Raghuvanshi got involved in the controversy. He apologized.
