Guwahati, Nov 1: In a recent controversy, prominent cricket commentator Ashok Malhotra allegedly made disparaging remarks about the Assam cricket team.
The incident occurred during a match against Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 cricket tournament which took place in Mohali on October 31, 2023.
During his commentary, Malhotra attempted to draw a comparison between the Assam and Bengal teams and referred to the Assam players as “second class citizens.”
His exact words were, “What I liked about Assam, because we have been playing for Bengal, we have played a number of matches against Assam. I would always say they were like second-class citizens... that they are beaten comfortably by Bengal.”
A video containing the controversial comments by Ashok Malhotra has gone viral highlighting his comment of the Assam team.
The derogatory comments did not sit well with the Assam Cricket Association President, Taranga Gogoi. In response, Gogoi penned a letter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), expressing his strong objection to Malhotra's statements.
In the match itself, Bengal set Assam a target of 139 runs during their innings. However, Assam displayed their batting prowess by comfortably chasing down the target with 13 balls to spare.