Saina Nehwal taunts Indian cricketers; Angkrish Raghuvanshi asks Jasprit Bumrah to break her head, withdraws later

Kolkata Knight Riders youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi is facing the heat on social media after making a distasteful remark about Saina Nehwal.

The young batsman's remark came after the legendary badminton player expressed her disappointment over other sports not getting as much recognition and support as cricket in the country. The debate over cricket getting more attention and support than other sports has surfaced once again after the grand welcome accorded to the victorious Indian team after the T20 World Cup.

Thousands of fans gave the players a rousing reception in Mumbai. After being felicitated by the BCCI, the players are also being felicitated by the chief ministers of their respective states. And the recent events have seemingly made Saina Nehwal concerned over other sports not getting as much support as cricket. The Olympic medalist also said that other sports are physically tougher than cricket.

"Sometimes, I feel bad that cricket gets all the attention. The thing about cricket is... if you see badminton, basketball, tennis, and other sports are so tough physically.

You don't even have time to pick up the shuttle and serve, you are like... you are breathing so hard. A game like cricket gets so much attention where I personally believe skill is more important," Saina said on the Nikhil Simha podcast.

"Even if I say bad things about cricket, cricket will be there, because it is loved by everyone. I love it, but you have to also give that kind of attention to other sports, otherwise, how will India become a sporting nation and how will we compete to beat China to win 60 Olympic medals? There's no way, it will always be cricket," added Nehwal who is the first Indian shuttler to win an Olympic medal.

What's your opinion on the POV that cricket is more skill based and requires less hardwork onfield compared to other sports ? pic.twitter.com/SAQZWWlhvB

— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) July 12, 2024

Angkrish Raghuvanshi's response to Saina Nehwal namedropping Jasprit Bumrah:

With Saina Nehwal's comments triggering a debate on social media, Angkrish Raghuvanshi also decided to give his opinion. However, he ended up posting a distasteful message for the legendary athlete, writing:

"Let's see how she goes when Bumrah bowls 150k's bumper at her head."

Angkrish Raghuvanshi Epic Reply to saina nehwal.... pic.twitter.com/VnYu8EODg4

— 🇮🇳Kim Jong OF Cricket 💤 (@kimjongofcrick) July 12, 2024

Unsurprisingly, the message has not gone down well with many and Angkrish Raghuvanshi is facing backlash on social media. Before the matter could get out of hand, he issued an apology and clarified that he meant his remarks as a joke. He also admitted that he made a mistake as he wrote:

"I’m sorry everyone, I meant my remarks as a joke, looking back I think it was a really immature joke. I realize my mistake and I sincerely apologize."

I’m sorry everyone, I meant my remarks as a joke, looking back I think it was a really immature joke. I realize my mistake and I sincerely apologize.

— Angkrish Raghuvanshi (@angkrish10) July 12, 2024