Team India's stalwart caught in the dilemma of 'black and white'… Who is Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, who accused BCCI of discrimination?

New Delhi. There are some players in the history of Indian cricket who shine like lightning in the sky and leave their mark. Laxman Sivaramakrishnan is also one such name. This player, who made the world crazy with his magical leg-spin in the early 80s, is in the news today because of a very serious and bitter allegation. The rise of Sivaramakrishnan was like a fairy tale. As a young player, he caught everyone's attention by taking 7 wickets for just 2 runs in domestic cricket. Making his Test debut against the West Indies in 1983, 'Shiva' (as he is fondly called) soon established himself.

The most memorable year in the career of Laxman Sivaramakrishnan was 1984. When he forced the British to kneel by taking 12 wickets in a single test match against England. Not only this, he was the megastar of India's historic victory in the World Championship of Cricket held in Australia in 1985. He was the highest wicket-taker in that tournament and played an important role in making India the world champion. He played 9 Test and 16 ODI matches between 1983 and 1987, taking 26 wickets in Tests with three five-wicket hauls and 15 wickets in ODIs.

Loud voice of commentary box
After retiring from cricket in 1987, Sivaramakrishnan entered the world of commentary. He has been a part of the main commentary panel of BCCI for the last 23 years. His technical understanding of spin bowling and his style of explaining the nuances made him different from other commentators. He remained a leading voice of Indian cricket for more than two decades.

Accusations of 'apartheid' and discrimination
60-year-old Sivaramakrishnan recently announced his retirement on social media platform 'X' (Twitter), but this farewell was not a normal one. His post has created a stir in the cricket world. Sivaramakrishnan alleged that despite 23 years of experience, he was discriminated against. He wrote that he was deliberately kept away from key on-air roles like toss duty and post-match presentation. When a user asked on social media whether his skin color could be a reason behind this, Sivaramakrishnan directly agreed and wrote, 'You are right. This is color discrimination.

A bitter truth?
This allegation of Sivaramakrishnan raises big questions on the working style of Indian cricket administration and broadcasting. A legend who made the country proud at the world stage had to complain of 'racism' and 'lack of opportunities' at the end of his career. These viral posts of his have now taken the form of a big debate on social media. This story of Sivaramakrishnan reminds us that as difficult as it is to make records on the sports field, maintaining one's dignity outside the game sometimes becomes even more challenging.