Sri Lankan batter, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, made some comments recently which led to a social media debate, with some interpreting Rajapaksa’s comments to be made against the Indian cricket team in which he accused them of “bat tampering”.
His comments soon attracted criticism and fans and analysts picked apart his words on various platforms.
Clarification of Remarks
Following the reaction from the public, Rajapaksa came forward to make his position clear. He clarified his comments on the bats used by Indian players and said that it was not meant to indicate any wrongdoing.
His main goal, he emphasised, was to praise Indian cricket and not question it.
Misinterpretation and Translation Issues
Rajapaksa underlined the fact that some confusion had arisen as a result of misinterpretation and problems with translation.
He conceded that some of the words were lost in translation during the interview, and this may have led to some of the readers interpreting his comments in a way that was never intended.
Praise for Indian Cricket
Taking to X to set the record straight, Rajapaksa elaborated on his admiration of Indian cricket. He described it as incredibly advanced and based on systems, infrastructure and equipment standards.
He further added that the country’s bat makers are amongst the best in the world, indicative of how much respect he had for the quality and innovation found in cricket equipment manufactured in India.
Original Remarks on Bats
In his original interview with NewsWire, Rajapaksa had raised doubts about the bats that Indian players use in the tournament.
He said that these bats appeared to produce a lot more power than others available on the other teams.
He was quoted saying, “Indian players have bats which are far superior to the best bats we get.” It feels like a layer of rubber has been put on it. I can’t understand why that is the case. These bats can’t even be purchased by other people — everyone playing knows this.”
Request for Acknowledgement of Confusion
Rajapaksa admitted that it was his fault that he was not careful with his words to avoid the misunderstandings.
Also read: How Pakistani fans can travel to Sri Lanka for Pak-India T20 World Cup match: step by step guide
