Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has been a true entertainer, both on and off the field. If it was his audacious strokeplay on the field that thrilled every cricket lover, after retirement, it were his tweets that amused us. His congratulatory tweets, especially birthday wishes, are part of Twitter folklore now.
Virender Sehwag | PTI
However, his recent tweet congratulating the Indian blind cricket team for winning the T20 World Cup, attracted a fair amount of criticism. India, needing 198 to win, beat Pakistan by nine wickets and 14 balls to spare in the final played at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Opener Prakash Jayaramaiah top scored for India with an unbeaten 99 off 60 balls, while Badar Munir shone with the bat for Pakistan with a 37-ball 57.
The use of #OtherMenInBlue did not go down well with some Twitter users, who pointed out that the hashtag was discriminatory in nature. That it differentiated between the blind cricketers and able-bodied cricketers, though both of them donned the India jersey.
@virendersehwag they are not other men in blue
— Ajay Bhagat (@ajaybhagat1234) February 13, 2017
They are men in blue
We are very proud of it
@virendersehwag Surprised at this #OtherMenInBlue, too condescending that we couldn't cede our original pride-perch- even symbolically.
— Shahid Abdulla (@TheDailyBunkum) February 12, 2017
@virendersehwag You are disrespecting them by calling them OTHER MEN IN BLUE...they are also MEN IN BLUE
— ACHIN MADAN (@achin_madan) February 12, 2017
There were, however, other users who were willing to give the former swashbuckling batsman the benefit of doubt.
@virendersehwag stop making a fuss out of this tweet people. He meant "another men in blue".
— Kankam Prabhakar (@kankamgns) February 12, 2017
@Aj2109 @virendersehwag may b paji was trying to write our another meninblue
— Sumit Shaunkani (@SShaunkani) February 13, 2017
On the brighter side, sportspersons, celebrities and politicians alike took to Twitter to congratulate the team on its outstanding achievement. Team India lost only one game en-route to the finals—to Pakistan—while Pakistan was unbeaten throughout the tournament, before stumbling in the final. It was almost a repeat of 2012, when India beat them by 29 runs to lift the maiden T20 World Cup.
