Cricket is more than a sport to its fans, especially in India, and the game has become an expression of national pride. Disputes between Indian cricket players have arisen several times as tempers flare under pressure. But nowadays, social media is also a venue where fans, pundits, and players argue and fight over cricket-related opinions.
Here, we take a look at three different occasions in which former Indian cricketers engaged in heated online debates:
1. Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi
After a heated on-field confrontation during an ODI in Kanpur in 2007, tensions between Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi have worsened. In his autobiography, ‘Game Changer,’ Afridi described the event and implied that Gambhir had an attitude problem. Gambhir raised the subject on Twitter, arguing that the ex-Pakistani captain needed psychiatric assistance.
Later, at a launch event, Afridi made a similar suggestion about Gambhir, to which the ex-Indian opener retorted that Afridi hadn’t matured psychologically. Both have been parties to numerous other online spats with one another.
2. Mohammed Amir and Harbhajan Singh
Muhammad Amir mocked Harbhajan Singh on Twitter after Pakistan beat India in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Harbhajan Singh, or Bhajji as he was commonly known, responded by posting a video of himself knocking out Amir. The situation escalated after Amir uploaded a video of Shahid Afridi hammering sixes against Harbhajan in a test match. Indian off-spinner of old dug out Amir’s involvement in the crisis that rocked cricket in 2010 and reminded him of it.
3. Aakash Chopra and Venkatesh Prasad
This list opens off and ends with a feud between two former Indian cricketers: Venkatesh Prasad, a former bowler, and Aakash Chopra, a former batter and current broadcaster. After the Border-Gavaskar Series between India and Australia, Prasad harshly questioned KL Rahul’s selection on Twitter, and he believed that other players were being overlooked in favour of Rahul.
In a rebuttal to Prasad, Aakash Chopra cited specific numbers supporting KL Rahul’s argument. Following Rahul’s departure from the Delhi Test, Prasad fired out another tweet that did not go over with Chopra. The situation escalated after the Indian cricketer-turned-commentator labelled Prased an “agenda salesman” on his YouTube channel. Chopra then requested Prasad to appear on his channel for a live session to discuss the problem, but Prasad declined.
