Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar (Credits: AFP)

Former India batsman Sunil Gavaskar is once again facing the heat on social media for making controversial comments on-air. The former cricketer-turned-commentator is not new to this type of controversy. Known for making bold remarks in the commentary box, Gavaskar had found himself in the midst of a controversy for remarks about batting superstar Virat Kohli and his wife actor Anushka Sharma on-air during a match in Indian Premier League 2020.

At that time, Gavaskar’s remarks about Kohli’s personal life had not gone down well with the fans as they had slammed him. Some had even urged the BCCI to remove him from the commentary panel. Later, Anushka had also hit back at Gavaskar, calling his statement ‘distasteful’ and had also asked him to explain his comments. Gavaskar has found himself in a similar situation once again after he talked about Shimron Hetmyer’s personal life during the game between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings on Friday (May 12).

Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli (Credits: Twitter)

Gavaskar’s comments came when Hetmyer came out to bat with his team in a precarious situation. Chasing 151, the Royals were reeling at 104 for 4 in the 15th over when Hetmyer joined Ravichandran Ashwin in the middle. Soon after the West Indies star’s arrival in the middle, Gavaskar decided to make the comment. The legendary batsman needlessly decided to drag Hetmyer’s wife in his comment, saying: “Shimron Hetmyer’s wife has delivered, will he deliver now for the Royals?”

Hetmyer recently became a father for the first time. Earlier this month, he had flown to Guyana for the birth of his son on May 8 and had missed the matches against Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants. Meanwhile, the comment has not gone down well with several fans and they did not waste any time in slamming Gavaskar for the same. While some were quick to recall his comments for Kohli and Anushka and called him a repeat offender, some criticised his commentary severely. Some fans also asked for his sacking from the commentary panel.

Shimron Hetmyer ©IPL
Rajasthan Royals’ Shimron Hetmyer ©IPL

Here are some of the reactions to Sunil Gavaskar’s comment on Shimron Hetmyer:

https://twitter.com/arseinho/status/1527703738324254720

https://twitter.com/iNeedBiryani/status/1527704090892828672

https://twitter.com/dramebaazkid/status/1527703316569858049

Talking about the game, the Royals won the contest by 5 wickets to end their league stage on a winning note. The Royals had already sealed a place in the playoffs and the latest win has sealed their place in the top two. CSK, on the other hand, had nothing to lose in the game as they bowed out of the campaign with yet another disappointing loss.