Kolkata Knight Riders batter apologises to Saina Nehwal; check reason

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman Angkrish Raghuvanshi faced severe backlash over various social media platforms after he attempted to mock India’s badminton star Saina Nehwal.

As per reports, Saina had claimed that sports like badminton, tennis, and basketball are physically more demanding than cricket. She had also criticized Indian fans for prioritizing cricket over other sports.

“The public wants to know the updates on Indian athletes like Saina, wrestlers, boxers, and javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra. These sports stars have gained widespread recognition through their consistent high-level performances and prominent media coverage. Reflecting on her own achievements, the speaker feels a sense of dreamlike wonder at having attained such success in India, a country that lacks a deeply-rooted sporting culture,” Saina had said in a recent podcast.

“While cricket receives significant attention, I believe sports like badminton, basketball, and tennis require immense physical strength. In these fast-paced games, players barely have time to catch their breath, let alone execute complex techniques. Yet, a game like cricket receives a huge level of recognition,” she further said.

In response, KKR youngster Raghuvanshi mocked Saina by saying, “Let’s see how she goes when Bumrah bowls 150k’s bumper at her head.”

However, after facing severe backlash from the fans, the KKR player took down the tweet and apologised to Nehwal.

“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,” wrote Raghuvanshi on X (earlier known as Twitter).