The Virat Kohli-Sunil Gavaskar bluster seems to have taken another turn. As Kohli, after being criticised for his slow strike rate, went heads on with his ‘to sit and speak from the box’ comment, Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar was quick to reply with his ‘we don’t have agendas’ remark. Now, another former cricketer, notably from the World Cup-winning team, has followed up with his statements on the ongoing debate. Balwinder Singh Sandhu, who was part of India’s 1983 World Cup campaign, sided with the former Indian cricketer as he asserted that the player being criticised ‘must take it as constructive feedback’.

“If a senior cricketer in the commentary box makes factually correct comments, the player being criticised should take it as constructive feedback and strive to improve their skills, ensuring performances answer the criticism. Instead, players often overreact to protect their reputation and fan base, regardless of whether the comments are personal, issue-based or factually correct,” Sandhu stated in his column on The Midday.

Sandhu further wrote that taking criticism personally ‘exacerbates the situation’ and that they must resort to their on-field performance for any response. “Nowadays, most TV commentators are retired players, ranging from good to legendary. If their criticism is valid, it should be taken constructively, not defensively. Reacting emotionally to criticism, whether personal or not, only exacerbates the situation. Players should use their performance on the field as the ultimate response. It’s crucial to avoid getting caught up in one’s narrative, as Gavaskar pointed out,” he wrote.

The 67-year-old further contrasted the current scenario with the past times when players would respond positively to a legend. He also stated that the players were prioritizing ‘social media and financial gains’ over their duty as role models for future generations.

“In the past, players would respond positively to a legend. If he was mistaken, a respectful dialogue would follow. However, today’s players seem more preoccupied with social media and financial gains, often forgetting they function as role models for future generations,” wrote Sandhu. Balwinder Singh Sandhu represented India as a right-arm fast bowler and played in eight tests and 22 ODIs between 1982 and 1984.

What sparked the controversy between Virat Kohli and Sunil Gavaskar?

The rant began at the post-match presentation of the clash between Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Kohli propelled his team to victory with 70 runs from just 44 balls while chasing 206 runs. Not only this, his remarkable knock helped the team capture the total in just 16 overs. When asked about the then ongoing debate about his strike rate, the Indian batter said, “I am not sure if you have not been in that situation yourself, to sit and speak about the game from the box; I don’t think it’s the same thing, so for me, it’s just about doing my job, people can talk about ideas for the game, but for me, it’s kind of a muscle memory now.”

Meanwhile, Sunil Gavaskar called out the RCB opener during the post-match show of the same match as he lividly said, "All these guys talk about, ‘Oh, we don’t care about outside noise’. Then why are you replying to any outside noise or whatever it is? We all played a bit of cricket, not a lot of cricket. We don’t have agendas. We speak about what we see. We don’t necessarily have any likes and dislikes. Even if we have likes and dislikes, we actually speak on what is happening.”

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