Cricket is the most popular sport in India. The fans always keep an eye on the activities of their favourite players. And the advent of social media in the last few years has led to a lot of scrutiny over little things every now and then. Along with Indian cricketers, their wives and girlfriends (WAGs) and their behaviour also come under the radar.
Moreover, over the last couple of years, the WAGs of the players travelling with them has become a talking point in the Indian cricket. The skipper Virat Kohli had even requested the Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) to allow the players’ wives on full overseas tours in order to spend some time with the family.
In the last few years, controversies have also sparked due to the cricketers’ wives for some or the other reason. While some of them have been simply rumours few made the headlines for a few weeks. Here we bring you three such instances when the WAGs of the Indian cricketers created controversy.
3 Times when the WAGs of Indian cricketers created controversy
1. Anushka Sharma’s presence at the Indian High Commission
This turned out to be a huge controversy in the Indian cricket. During India’s tour of England in 2018, the visiting team had attended the Indian High Commission ahead of one of the Test matches. The controversy sparked after the BCCI shared the picture of the group photo on its social media handles.
In it, Anushka Sharma was seen standing besides her husband Virat Kohli in the front row while the vice-captain of the team, Ajinkya Rahane was nowhere to be seen. Rather he was standing very much behind and wasn’t seen properly in the picture too. Soon after the photo was posted, Twitterati slammed Anushka for standing in the front row.
Several experts also questioned her presence in the group photo when only Team India members were invited for the dinner. However, the BCCI later cleared in a statement that the Indian team along with their families were invited and the reception was hosted by the Indian High Commissioner and his wife and not the Indian High Commission.
Even then when the controversy around it didn’t die, Anushka Sharma came up with the clarification last year stating, “My name was used for false stories to make it look like the Board was being bothered for my tickets or security etc. When in reality I bought my own tickets for matches and flights and I still kept quiet.
“I was asked to stand in a group photo by the High Commissioner’s wife despite my hesitation to be in it and a huge issue was created over this blaming me for intentionally wanting to be a part of it and the said event, even though I was invited for it. An official clarification was issued by the Board on the same and I still kept quiet,” she wrote in a statement on social media.
— Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) October 31, 2019
2. Sakshi Dhoni sitting with Vindoo Dara Singh in IPL 2013
The 2013 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was marred due to the spot-fixing allegations against the cricketers, S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila. More investigations revealed that the Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) supporter and the Bollywood actor Vindoo Dara Singh allegedly had links with the bookies and had played major role in the fixing.
Even the CSK’s team principle then, Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested following Vindoo’s statements to the Mumbai Police. At the same time, Vindoo’s pictures sitting with MS Dhoni‘s (CSK skipper) wife Sakshi Dhoni watching the IPL matches had gone viral. There were rumours then that the Mumbai Police would question Sakshi as well in the matter.
However the police later clarified that Sakshi was not there in their radar and she wouldn’t be questioned. Moreover, Dhoni’s wife also posted a cryptic tweet which read, “For hindi song lovers…kuch toh log kahengay…logo ka kaam hai kehnaa.” Rather Vindoo, in 2017, had commented that sitting besides Sakshi was the biggest mistake of his life and also said that he felt sorry for her.
3. Hazel Keech asking India’s batting order on Twitter in 2016
Team India was in Australia for a limited-overs tour in 2016. Yuvraj Singh wasn’t a part of the ODI squad but was picked for the three-match T20I series which followed ahead of the T20 World Cup later in India. With limited chances available ahead of the mega event, many had thought that the southpaw will be promoted to bat up the order in the first T20I.
However, as it turned out, Suresh Raina batted at number four and MS Dhoni walked out to bat at five in the last over leaving Yuvraj’s fans bemused. Even his wife Hazel Keech wasn’t impressed at all it seems. Moreover, she tweeted on Twitter asking India’s batting line-up after the second T20I began.
“Hey, whats the batting line up today? I missed it,” her tweet read. Rather she had tweeted something else which Hazel deleted soon and came up with the aforementioned tweet. Twitterati didn’t like the way she took a dig and lashed out at her as well. As it turned out, Yuvraj didn’t get a chance to bat even in the second T20I and faced only 12 deliveries in the final game in which he scored 15 runs playing a vital role in the steep chase as India scripted history.
Hey, whats the batting line up today? I missed it @gauravkapur @Imangadbedi @gbhimani
— Hazel Keech (@hazelkeech) January 29, 2016
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