Mumbai: Actress Kangana Ranaut expressed views after Sunil Gavaskar’s comment on India skipper Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma triggered controversy.
Virat Kohli dropped two catches
On Thursday, Kohli had a bad day in office when he led Royal Challengers Bangalore against Kings XI Punjab in an IPL match. He dropped two catches of rival skipper KL Rahul and managed only a run off five balls in RCB’s chase.
While Kohli was still at crease, Gavaskar said ‘India captain is keen to improve and he knows that he can do so only by practicing more and more’. He then added that ‘during the lockdown Kohli faced only Anushka’s bowling and it is showing that it did not help much’.
However, the comment did not go down well with Kohli and Anushka’s fans and some even demanded his sacking from Star Sports commentary panel, lashing out at him on social media.
Anushka Sharma issues statement
Reacting to it, Anushka also issued a statement on her Instagram page and said that Gavaskar’s message was “distasteful”. She was livid that her name was unnecessarily mentioned by a respected personality like him.
Gavaskar though said his comments were not understood in right context.
The remark according to Gavaskar was in reference to a video clip where Kohli and Anushka were seen enjoying some tennis ball cricket in their compound.
Sunil Gavaskar gives clarification
“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”.
He also tried to explain his comment.
“As you can hear from the commentary, Aakash was talking about the fact there has been very little chance for any proper practice in the lockdown, for everybody…
“…..that has actually shown in rustiness of some of the players in their first matches. Rohit (Sharma) didn’t strike the ball well, now in the second match he has got runs, MSD (Mahendra Singh Dhoni) didn’t strike the ball well in the first match.”
“…..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.”
“I’m just only stating what was seen on the video which was maybe recorded by somebody in the neighbouring buildings and put up and that’s the only thing I’m doing, but the point I’m making trying to make is that there was no practice for anybody including Virat in the lockdown.
“…I have not been sexist, if somebody has interpreted it, what can I do,” Gavaskar said.
Kangana Ranaut expresses views
Now expressing views on the controversy, Kangana Ranaut tweeted, “#Anushka remained quiet when I was threatened and called Haramkhor but today the same misogyny coming to bite her, I condemn the fact that she was dragged in to cricket by #SunilGavaskar but selective feminism is equally uncool”.
In another tweet, she wrote, “only a sex starved pervert will find sexual context to #SunilGavaskar’s statement which he made on national television for a woman, he should’ve not mentioned her, but Anushka is playing a cricketer in her next and there are several videos of her practising with her husband”.