Varun Chakaravarthy Faces Religious Trouble After IND Vs PAK, Takes U-Turn After Backlash

Varun Chakaravarthy faced religious backlash [Source: X, AFP]

Experienced spinner Varun Chakaravarthy faced backlash and was forced to take down his congratulatory post following India's clinical victory over Pakistan in the T20 World Cup. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India annihilated Pakistan in the high-voltage encounter, registering a 61-run victory and qualifying for the Super Eights. 

Varun Chakaravarthy bowled magnificently in the game, scalping two wickets for 17 runs in his three-over spell. However, despite stepping up with the ball, the ace spinner grabbed the attention due to the wrong reasons following India's emphatic win over their arch-rivals. 

Varun Chakaravarthy links India's win vs Pakistan to Maha Shivratri

For the unversed, February 15 marked the holy day of Maha Shivratri, a festival that the majoritarian Hindu community celebrates in India. Considering India defeated Pakistan on the auspicious occasion of the Maha Shivratri, Varun Chakaravarthy dedicated the win to the worshippers of Lord Shiva with a heartfelt post on the social media platform Instagram. 

"Any doubts ?!! Dedicating this victory to all the SHIV BAKTHS on the eve of MAHA SHIVRATHRI!! HAR HAR MAHADEV!!!," Chakaravarthy posted. 

However, the congratulatory post earned the Indian spinner massive backlash, with netizens slamming him for bringing a religious angle into sport. 

Varun Chakaravarthy modifies Instagram post after criticism

In response to Varun Chakaravarthy's post, fans argued that the victory must be dedicated to all Indians, irrespective of caste, creed, or religion, rather than only the worshippers of Lord Shiva. The furious reactions from a majority of the fans forced the Indian spinner to modify his post, replacing the word 'Shiv Bhakts' with 'Indians'. 

"Any doubts ?!! Dedicating this victory to all the INDIANS on the eve of MAHA SHIVRATHRI !! HAR HAR MAHADEV!!," Varun Chakaravarthy's modified post read. 

Clinical India thrash Pakistan to sustain dream T20 World Cup run

Talking about the match, India comfortably steamrolled Pakistan to maintain their unbeaten streak in the T20 World Cup. The Men in Blue thus registered their third victory of the tournament, making an entry into the Super Eight stage. 

After losing the toss and being put into bat, India had a disastrous start to their innings, losing the destructive Abhishek Sharma for a duck. Salman Ali Agha's decision to introduce himself into the attack straightaway worked wonders for the Men in Green, as he got the prized scalp of Abhishek in the first over. 

However, Ishan Kishan spoiled Pakistan's party, helping India resurrect their innings with a blazing half-century. The swashbuckling keeper-batter attained multiple milestones, even registering one of the highest individual scores ever in India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup matches. 

Riding on Ishan's exploits and valuable contributions from Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube, India posted 175 runs on the board. In response, Pakistan were jolted by some early strikes, with Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah dismantling their top-order in the blink of an eye. 

Despite Usman Khan's fighting knock, Pakistan couldn't recover from the early setbacks, eventually getting bowled out for 114 runs. Varun Chakaravarthy managed to dismiss Faheem Ashraf and Abrar Ahmed, while Pandya, Bumrah and Axar bagged two wickets each, playing a pivotal role in a convincing Indian win.