'Bumrah mera smash nahi khel paaega': Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal responds to KKR star's controversial remark

Indian badminton star and Olympic bronze medalist, Saina Nehwal, addressed a controversial comment made by Kolkata Knight Riders batter, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, during a podcast on Friday, August 9th.

During an interview on Shubhankar Mishra's podcast, Saina Nehwal responded to criticism regarding her opinion on the popularity of cricket. She defended her statement by suggesting that even a talented cricketer like Jasprit Bumrah might struggle to return her powerful serves.

"Dekhiye aap cricket kya marne ke liye khelenge kya? Mein Bumrah ke saath kyun khelna hai. Agar Bumrah mera saath badminton khelega toh mera smash mera serve nahi khel paaega. 300 kmph joh bhi hai." Nehwal said.

Saina Nehwal talking about facing Bumrah and facilities in cricket. pic.twitter.com/qnSfrpJpSj

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 8, 2024

The controversy arose when Saina Nehwal echoed Chirag Shetty's sentiments regarding the lack of recognition for badminton players. This came after the Maharashtra Government awarded INR 10 crore in cash rewards to Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Suryakumar Yadav for their T20 World Cup triumph.

During an interview on Nikhil Simha's podcast last month, the Indian badminton legend expressed her belief that it was unjust for cricket to receive all the attention. She called for equal treatment for all sports, emphasizing the need for fair recognition and support across the board.

"Sometimes, I feel bad that cricket gets all the attention. The thing about cricket is. if you see badminton, basketball, tennis, and other sports are so tough physically. You don't even have time to pick up the shuttle and serve, you are like, you are breathing so hard. A game like cricket gets so much of attention where I believe skill is more important.

Saina Nehwal Stoodup and Spoken Some Harsh Facts  pic.twitter.com/gaF9fSROXc

— Voice of Hindus (@Warlock_Shabby) July 11, 2024

Nehwal's statement prompted Angkrish Raghuvanshi to respond with a reference to Jasprit Bumrah.

Raghuvanshi wrote, "Let's see how she handles it when Bumrah bowls 150 km/h bouncers at her."

However, Angkrish Raghuvanshi was compelled to delete the tweet and issue an apology, acknowledging that his joke was immature.

"I'm sorry everyone, I meant my remarks as a joke, looking back I think it was a really immature joke. I realize my mistake and I sincerely apologize." KKR batter wrote on X.

I’m sorry everyone, I meant my remarks as a joke, looking back I think it was a really immature joke. I realize my mistake and I sincerely apologize.

— Angkrish Raghuvanshi (@angkrish10) July 12, 2024

Raghuvanshi was a key player for the Kolkata Knight Riders, who secured their fourth IPL title this year. The 19-year-old made debut in the IPL, scoring 163 runs, including a half-century, with an average of 23.29 and a striking rate of 155.24 in 10 matches.

Raghuvanshi also represented the India U-19 team, which emerged victorious in the 2020 U19 World Cup Final by defeating England in a thrilling match. 

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