Former India cricketer Ashok Malhotra has issued an apology for his derogatory remarks about Assam players during a recent cricket match. Malhotra, who previously coached Bengal, made the comment after Bengal’s surprising loss to Assam in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy pre-quarterfinals. He referred to the Assam team as “second-class citizens” during his playing days.
Following a backlash, Malhotra, who represented India in seven Tests and 20 ODIs, expressed regret and offered an unconditional apology on social media. He stated that his comments were unintentional and that he was trying to highlight Assam’s progress. Malhotra acknowledged his mistake and apologized for hurting the sentiments of Assam people.
Meanwhile, in the match, Assam captain Riyan Parag delivered an outstanding performance, scoring his seventh consecutive half-century, as his team defeated Bengal by eight wickets to secure a spot in the SMAT quarterfinals. Parag’s gesture towards the commentary box, seemingly expressing his displeasure with Malhotra’s comments, has gone viral on social media.
Assam’s victory was fueled by Parag’s all-round contribution. He not only scored an unbeaten 50 off 31 balls but also took two wickets, conceding only 23 runs in his four overs. Akash Sengupta’s 3/29 also played a crucial role in limiting Bengal to a modest total of 138/8 in their 20 overs.
Despite getting starts, Bengal batsmen failed to convert them into substantial scores. Karan Lal top-scored with 24, while Abhimanyu Easwaran contributed 21 runs. Abhishek Porel and Kaushik Maity made 23 and 21 not out respectively towards the end of the innings.
Although Assam lost Denish Das early in the chase, Rishav Das played a quickfire innings of 31 off 26 balls. Bishal Roy and Parag then steered Assam to victory, with Roy remaining unbeaten on 45 off 36 balls, and Parag reaching his half-century off just 31 balls, including four sixes and two fours.
In conclusion, Ashok Malhotra’s derogatory remarks about Assam players have sparked controversy, prompting him to issue an apology. Assam’s dominant performance in the match, led by Riyan Parag, secured their qualification for the quarterfinals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
