Mumbai: Actor Anushka Sharma on Friday slammed former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar for his “distasteful” remark about her while commenting on husband Virat Kohli’s performance in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Gavaskar found himself in the midst of a controversy for making an unsavoury comment against Kohli and Sharma after the Indian captain’s forgettable outing in the IPL match, held in Dubai. Anushka, who has faced negativity and trolling in the past as well for Kohli’s performance, said she was tired of being dragged into cricket. “It’s 2020 and things still don’t change for me. When will I stop getting dragged into cricket and stop being used to pass sweeping statements?” the actor said in a long statement posted on her Instagram Stories.
Gavaskar was a part of the commentary team as Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore lost to Kings XI Punjab on Thursday night and the Indian captain did not do well in the match. He made the controversial comment about the cricketer’s practice by referencing a video of Kohli and Sharma playing cricket during the lockdown.
“Aur jab lockdown tha to sirf Anushka ki bowling ki practice ki unhone. Vo dikhayi di video me. (He has only faced Anushka’s bowling during the lockdown. That’s what we saw in the video). In her statement, 32-year-old actor, who has accompanied Kohli in Dubai, asked for an explanation from Gavaskar for his remark. “That, Mr Gavaskar, your message is distasteful is a fact but I would love for you to explain why you thought of making such a sweeping statement on a wife accusing her for her husband’s game? “I’m sure over the years you have respected the private lives of every cricketer while commenting on the game. Don’t you think you should have equal amount of respect for me and us?,” Sharma said. The actor said Gavaskar could have used other words to speak about Kohli’s performance, instead of bringing her name in his commentary.
In her concluding note, Sharma said, “Respected Mr Gavaskar, you are a legend whose name stands tall in this gentleman’s game. Just I want to tell you what I felt when I heard you say this.” In the past as well, Sharma has reacted sharply to her name being used in cricket controversies. In October last year, she had shut down reports that claimed that selectors were asked to serve her tea during ICC World Cup 2019.
I have stayed quiet through all the times I was blamed for the performance of my then boyfriend, now husband Virat and continue to take the blame for the most baseless things involving Indian cricket. I kept quiet then, she had written. Today. I have decided to speak up because someone’s silence cannot be taken as their weakness,” she had said at the time. Gavaskar, however, defended his remarks, saying it was in reference to a video clip where Kohli and Anushka were seen enjoying some tennis ball cricket in their compound.
“Firstly, I would like to say, where am I blaming her, I’m not blaming her. I am only saying that the video showed she was bowling to Virat. Virat has only played that much bowling in this lockdown period,” Gavaskar told India Today channel. “It is tennis ball fun game that people have to pass time during the lockdown, so that’s all, so where am I blaming her for Virat’s failures.” Gavaskar also rubbished allegations on social media that he made a “sexist comment”. “I’m the one who has always batted for wives going with husbands on tours. I am the one who has always said that like a normal guy going to office for a 9-5 job, when he comes back home, he comes back to his wife, similarly why can’t cricketers have their wives with them,” Gavaskar said.
He then also explained what exactly he said. “…..Anushka was bowling to him, so that’s what I said, that’s the only bowling, I have not used any other word. She was bowling to him, that’s all, where am I blaming her, where I am being sexist in this.” .
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