Indian women’s cricket star Shikha Pandey has defended herself against online trolls who perceived her recent tweet as an attack on Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj. During an IPL 2023 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals, Siraj got into an altercation with Phil Salt after the latter hit him for three consecutive boundaries. Siraj then bowled a short-pitched delivery that was called wide, prompting him to approach Salt and give him a mouthful. Pandey tweeted, “Swearing won’t help anyone win any games! #JustSaying,” which some social media users perceived as a criticism of Siraj.
However, in a separate tweet, Pandey clarified that she has always been in awe of Siraj’s bowling and his achievements. She called his career thus far incredible, inspiring, and incomparable. Pandey also responded to online trolls who hurled abuse at her on Twitter, saying that such behavior doesn’t help get one’s point across.
Mohammed Siraj has been an instrumental player for the Indian cricket team, especially in the longest format of the game. He made his Test debut for India in 2020 and has since played nine matches, picking up 34 wickets at an average of 24.67. Siraj was also part of India’s T20 World Cup squad in 2023 and has played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL since 2018.
Shikha Pandey, on the other hand, has been an integral part of the Indian women’s cricket team for several years. She has played 53 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 63 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) for India, picking up 73 and 95 wickets, respectively. Pandey was also part of the inaugural Women’s Premier League for Delhi Capitals in 2023.
Cricket is a sport that often involves verbal exchanges between players, and on-field altercations are not uncommon. However, players are expected to maintain a certain level of decorum and avoid using abusive language. Shikha Pandey’s tweet was likely a reminder of this, although she did not name any players in her post.
