Table of Contents
The second semi-final of the Ranji Trophy 2024 witnessed a heartbreak for Tamil Nadu cricket fans as the team stumbled at the knockout hurdle against Mumbai after a commendable run throughout the tournament. However, what unfolded after the defeat was equally disheartening, with Tamil Nadu coach Sulakshan Kulkarni pointing fingers at skipper Sai Kishore for the loss, which sparked a huge controversy.
Amidst the debates and discussions surrounding Sai and Kulkarni, Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik has now come forward to support the Tamil Nadu skipper and express his disagreement with the coach’s statement in strong words.
Match Recap:
Sai Kishore’s brilliant six-fer and Shardul Thakur’s masterclass
The semi-final clash between Tamil Nadu and Mumbai saw an intense battle, with both teams displaying commendable cricketing skills. After winning the toss, Tamil Nadu opted to bat but managed to post only 146 in their first innings. Mumbai, in response, found themselves in a tight spot at 106-7, thanks to Sai’s exceptional six-wicket haul. However, a remarkable eighth-wicket partnership between Shardul Thakur (109) and Tanush Kotian (89) guided Mumbai to a formidable 378.
In the second innings, Tamil Nadu failed to dissolve the lead, succumbing to an innings and 70-run defeat, finishing at just 162.
Coach Sulakshan Kulkarni’s controversial statements about Sai
Following the defeat, coach Kulkarni didn’t mince his words and openly blamed skipper Sai for the loss. Kulkarni questioned Sai’s decision to bat first after winning the toss. The coach’s remarks drew immediate criticism from cricket pundits and players alike.
“I always speak straightforward — we lost the match at 9 o’clock on day one. The moment I saw the wicket I exactly knew what we were going to get. Everything was set, we won the toss, as a coach, as a Mumbaikar, I know the conditions well. We should have bowled but the captain had some different instinct,” Kulkarni was quoted saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“When I saw that they had played on a different pitch in the quarter-final and what wicket they gave, (that) moment I realised that this is a seaming-friendly wicket and it was going to be a very tough match, we would have to play really well to win this game,” he added.
Also READ: Ravichandran Ashwin weighs in on his relationship with Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson
‘This is so wrong…’: Dinesh Karthik’s strong stand
Dinesh Karthik, a stalwart of Tamil Nadu cricket, did not hold back in expressing his disappointment with coach Kulkarni’s statements. Karthik took to social media, accusing the coach of throwing the captain under the bus. The Indian cricketer used five thumbs-down emojis to emphasize his disapproval of Kulkarni’s logic. Karthik’s support for Sai adds weight to the argument that blaming the skipper alone for the loss is unjust.
This is soo WRONG
This is so disappointing from the coach ..instead of backing the captain who has brought the team to the semis after 7 yrs and thinking it's a start for good things to happen, the coach has absolutely thrown his captain and team under the bus
👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽 https://t.co/Ii61X7Ajqs
— DK (@DineshKarthik) March 5, 2024
Hemang Badani’s disagreement
Joining Karthik, former cricketer Hemang Badani also expressed his disagreement with Kulkarni’s comments. Badani took to social media to emphasize that good coaches do not resort to blaming individual players in public. His stance aligns with the belief that criticism, if any, should be constructive and private, maintaining the team’s unity and spirit.
Oh boy the coach Sulakshan Kulkarni has thrown the captain Sai Kishore under the bus. Whatever happens in a team environment stays there and you don’t set the captain on fire and go public about this. Good coaches don’t do that. #MumvsTn #RanjiTrophy
— Hemang Badani (@hemangkbadani) March 5, 2024
