Virender Sehwag's tweet congratulating the Indian blind cricket team on winning the T20 World Cup had attracted a fair bit of controversy. The use of #OtherMenInBlue in his tweet had offended the Twitterati.
Read: Sehwag's congratulatory tweet kicks off row
A day later, the skipper of the victorious blind team, Ajay Kumar Reddy, expressed disappointment at the former Indian opener's choice of words. He appreciated Sehwag's congratulatory tweet, but remarked that they “too are the men in blue”.
Congratulations to our #OtherMenInBlue on winning the T20 World Cup for the Blind. They have lit up smiles for a billion people. pic.twitter.com/sEZiz2mXxU
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) February 12, 2017
Speaking to a national English daily, Reddy said: “We wear the same blue jersey, represent the same tricolour and play with equal pride and passion then why term us as ‘other’? It is appreciable that he congratulated us but then we are no others. We, too, are the men in blue”.
Reddy played an important knock of 43 runs in India's run chase. He was involved in a match-winning partnership of 110 runs with opener Prakash Jayaramaiah, who top scored for India with an unbeaten 99 off 60 balls. Needing 198 to win, India beat Pakistan by nine wickets and 14 balls to spare in the final played at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Badar Munir shone with the bat for Pakistan with a 37-ball 57.
