Former India batsman Sunil Gavaskar is facing backlash on Twitter for his controversial comments about Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma during the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kings XI Punjab IPL match on Thursday.
The match between the two teams saw Kohli, led by RCB, suffer a huge 97-run loss. Kohli dropped his KXIP counterpart KL Rahul twice, and the right-hander went on to score 132 unbeaten on 69 balls.
Rahul’s innings were peppered with 14 fours and seven sixes. On the penultimate change, he hit Dale Steyn for 26 runs before hitting Shivam Dube with four and two sixes in the last three balls of the inning. Kings XI Punjab went on to put a total of 206 out of 3 in the shortest format of the game.
Kohli, on the other hand, was sent back to the pavilion with just 1 run, while RCB was out with 109 in 17 overs.
With Kohli failing to meet the bat, commentator Sunil Gavaskar made a surprising comment that didn’t sit well with fans and Anushka. Gavaskar mentioned Anushka, while criticizing the cricketer and said that the RCB skipper only trained against Anushka’s bowling pins during the lockdown.
On Instagram, Anushka expressed her displeasure at the choice of words and at being once again included in the criticism of Kohli. She asked Gavaskar: “I would love for you to explain to me why you thought of making such a radical statement about a wife who accused her of her husband’s gambling. I am sure that over the years you have respected everyone’s private life. cricketers commenting on the game. Don’t you think you should have the same respect for me and us? “
Anushka Sharma reacted on Instagram to Sunil Gavaskar’s comment during RCB vs KXIP at the IPL.
“I’m sure you may have many other words and sentences in your mind to use to comment on my husband’s performance last night or are your words only relevant if you use my name in the process?”
“It’s 2020 and things still haven’t changed for me. When will I stop being dragged into cricket and stop being used to endorse radical statements?”
Fans weren’t impressed either, with many calling out Gavaskar for being personal. This is how social media reacted:
Gavaskar sahab saying: “Inhone lockdown me to bas Anushka ki gendon ki practice ki hai”
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
– Mateo Madridista (@ Don_Mateo13) September 24, 2020
I heard this live and the boy laughed. He has always been in the news for making some really unacceptable “joking” comments while in the comment box, but this is not right. Who gave him the right to drag someone’s family to him, regardless of the context in which he meant it? https://t.co/4MeFZNOdx4 – m (@ Manasa2922x) September 24, 2020
This is so disgusting. The way they don’t forget to bring Anushka when she’s not acting is very dirty. In whatever context you said, this statement cannot be justified. It’s not funny at all. https://t.co/0uJXjaSijl
– Anisha (@ anishaj16) September 24, 2020
Lord Gavaskar, have you completely lost it or something? A high-level cricketer who says those things about anyone, much less about the ICT captain. Man, you lost all the respect we had for you. – Riya⁷ (@ sassy_me22) September 24, 2020
Sometimes he makes quite vile and perverted comments under the name of jokes.
– Jardani Jovonovich (@ John_Wick__4) September 24, 2020
Why would they drag her every damn time? I never heard anyone take the name Ritika or Sakhshi like this 😐 – ♛ (@Yaassx_) September 24, 2020
One user also demanded that BCCI remove Gavaskar from commenting at matches.
Remove it from comments @BCCI https://t.co/EnWEDSgxbf
-. (@imvk__) September 24, 2020
