Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, a former Indian spinner, wants strict action to be taken against Punjab Kings pacer Arshdeep Singh for his remark about Tilak Varma. The recent few days have witnessed the left-arm speedster coping with severe criticism for his antics on social media, and the outrage just multiplied after Arshdeep posted a video on Snapchat, and his comments on Mumbai Indians batter Tilak Varma have left a bad taste.
On the eve of the game against the Mumbai Indians, PBKS’ Arshdeep posted a Snapchat video, panning the camera to Tilak and asking, “Oye Andhere, sunscreen lagaaya?” (Hey, dark one, did you apply sunscreen?) The matter didn’t end there as he then shifted his attention to Tilak’s teammate Naman Dhir, calling him the “real Noor” from Punjab.
The clip continues to generate reactions online, and the senior Indian speedster is being called out for “casual racism.” Sivaramakrishnan has now reacted to the viral clip, urging the authorities to ban the speedster for the remainder of the tournament and pay him on a pro rata basis.
Sivaramakrishnan, who has previously voiced concerns over colour-based discrimination, said that dismissing such remarks as dressing-room humour is the main reason why these issues continue to persist. He said that the players should be hurt where it matters the most. He then made further posts, saying that if there is a crackdown on current players, then that could lead him to reveal deeper issues from his own career.
“Nobody believed me. Everyone mocked and trolled me. Arshdeep should be banned this season and should be paid on a pro rata basis. The players today should be hit where it hurts the most. I am sure I would be trolled again,” Sivaramakrishnan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“If BCCI takes action, I will name people who racially abused me if BCCI will take action against them,” he added.
Tilak Varma the game-changer for the Mumbai Indians
On Thursday, the Punjab Kings suffered their fifth loss in a row as the Mumbai Indians chased down the target of 201 with six wickets in hand and one ball to spare. Tilak proved to be the game-changer as he returned with an unbeaten knock of 75 off 33 balls.
Earlier, the Punjab Kings posted 200 runs on the board owing to a half-century by opening batter Prabhsimran Singh. Shardul Thakur was the pick of the bowlers for Mumbai, returning with four wickets.
With the loss against the Mumbai Indians, Punjab cannot afford another slip-up, and the team must win its remaining two matches against the RCB and Lucknow Super Giants to have any chance of finishing in the top four.