Gavaskar’s comment distasteful, says Anushka

Terming distasteful Actor Anushka Sharma has sharply criticised  the controversial comment made by former cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar on her and cricketer husband Virat Kohli, reports Indian media.

Former Indian International cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, on Thursday made an unsavoury comment on the two after Virat's Royal Challengers Bangalore lost to Kings XI Punjab on Thursday and the captain showed lack of form, reports Hindustan Times.

The match between the two teams saw the Virat and his team suffer a huge 97-run defeat. The RCB skipper dropped his KXIP counterpart KL Rahul twice and the right-hander went on to score an unbeaten 132 off just 69 balls.

Post Virat failing to deliver with the bat, Gavaskar said, "Inhone lockdown me toh bas Anushka ki gendon ki practice ki hai."

The commentator went on to say that facing Anushka's delivery is not going to help him, while referring to the following video, where the couple was seeing enjoying some gully cricket, reports Times of India.

Taking to Instagram stories, she wrote: "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 commentating on the game. Don't you thing you should have equal amount of respect for me and us?"

"I'm sure you can have many other words and sentences in your mind to use to comment on my husband's performance from last night or are your words only relevant if you use my name in the process?"

The Instagram post also reads "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? Respected Mr Gavaskar, you are a legend whose name stands tall in this gentleman's game. Just wanted to tell you what I felt when I heard you say this."

The comment by Gavaskar had not gone down well with fans of Virat online.

Amid calls to the BCCI to remove Gavaskar from the commentary panel, an earlier statement by Anushka, issued to dismiss claims of favouritism and the tasteless trolling, was brought back by internet.

Reacting to Sharma's Instagram post, Gavasker told a TV channel, "Firstly, I would like to say again, where am I blaming her? I am not blaming her. I am only saying that the video said that she was bowling to Virat. So Virat has played only that bowling in this lockdown period. It is a tennis ball, you know one game that people have to pass time during the lockdown. That's all. So where am I blaming her for Virat's failures?"

Both Gavaskar's comments and Anushka's reaction have triggered a fresh debate online.

While cricket fans said that he did not mean it in the way it has been taken and that his comments have been taken out of context, there are others who say that there was no need to bring up Anushka's name at all, especially given the fact that she has in the past, been at the receiving end of a barrage of hate targeting her for Virat's poor performance.