![Daren Sammy [Source: @Hello_anuj, @harsh03443/x]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1772887533383_DarenSammy.jpg?type=hq)
Daren Sammy [Source: @Hello_anuj, @harsh03443/x]
Few overseas cricketers have struck such an endearing chord with Indian fans as Daren Sammy. A two-time T20 World Cup winning captain and the current head coach of the West Indies cricket team, Sammy also enjoyed a short stint with the SRH and RCB franchises between the 2013 and 2015 editions of the IPL.
However, the legendary West Indies all-rounder had his brief IPL stint marred by a major racial controversy, one he became aware of many years later. The controversy involved another Indian cricketer, his former SRH teammate Ishant Sharma, who found himself at the centre of a racist slur row.
When Ishant Sharma landed in hot water for using a racist term on Sammy
Daren Sammy made his IPL debut back in 2013 for the SRH franchise. The cricketer spent two seasons with the franchise, and was accompanied by the likes of several senior pros like Ishant Kumar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Dale Steyn.
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As admitted by Sammy in mid-2020, he was often called “kalu” by Ishant Sharma. While the former West Indies captain initially perceived the same as an endearing nickname given to him by the Indian fast bowler, it took him years to realize that the word had a racist connotation to it.
Following Daren Sammy’s explosive claims, an older social media post of Ishant Sharma also re-surfaced online, where the speedster shared an image of the four SRH cricketers from during their time together at the IPL.
In the caption of the image, the Delhi-born cricketer wrote ‘kalu’ to describe his then West Indies teammate.
How Daren Sammy eventually responded to the racist slur row
While Ishant was condemned for his racial language against Daren Sammy by a legion of cricket fans, the legendary West Indies all-rounder himself has seemingly mended all bridges with the speedster. Not long after revealing that he was ‘jokingly’ targeted for his skin color, Sammy said that he still considers Ishant Sharma like his brother and is not holding “any grudges” against him.
It is worth noting that the two-time T20 World Cup winning skipper received overwhelming support from the entire cricketing fraternity, especially from Pakistan, considering he had received a top Pakistani civilian award earlier that same year.
Several ‘Men in Green’ fans rallied behind him on social media, until the cricketer himself ended his feud with Ishant.
What is Daren Sammy doing now?
Daren Sammy is currently coaching the West Indies cricket team across all formats since mid-2025. With him at the helm, the team recently failed to qualify for the semifinals of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Even though it has been nearly a week since West Indies’ crushing defeat to India in a virtual quarter-final in Kolkata, the team is still stranded in the country owing to the prevailing Middle East crisis and restricted air travel.
Sammy’s constant chirping on social media regarding the situation also led to the resurfacing of his older controversy with the Indian fast bowler.
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