Mumbai (Maharashtra): India Champions recently won the final of the inaugural World Championship of Legends (WCL) by defeating Pakistan Champions.
After the match, the players including former cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh, hopped on the ongoing Tauba Tauba trend and created a reel.
In the video, they all jokingly limped while dancing to the popular song. However, their reel did not go down well with a section of social media uses. Several netizens slammed the players for mocking disabled people.
On Monday, Harbhajan took to Instagram and issued an apology. He also explained that the players had no intention to hurt anyone.
“Just wanted to clear to our people who are complaining about our recent videos of Tauba Tauba on social media after winning the championship here in England. We didn’t want to hurt anyone’s sentiments. We respect every individual and community And this video was just to reflect to our bodies after playing continues cricket for 15days. SORE bodies.. we r not trying to insult or offend anyone.. still if people think we hv done something wrong,” he wrote.
Harbhajan added, “All I can say from my side SORRY to everyone..plz let’s stop this here and move forward. Stay happy and healthy. Love to all.”
Recapping the match, India Champions emerged victorious by defeating arch-rivals Pakistan Champions by five wickets here at Edgbaston.The Yuvraj Singh-led side showcased their dominance in the competition and secured the coveted title in a match that went down to the wire as two teams fought hard.
Pakistan Champions, opting to bat first after winning the toss, posted a competitive total of 156 for 6 in their 20 overs.Kamran Akmal (24 off 19) and Maqsood (21 off 12) gave the team a solid start, but regular wickets kept the scoring in check.The standout performer was Shoaib Malik, who scored a crucial 41 off 23 balls, anchoring the innings.
Captain Younis Khan failed to make a mark as he was clean bowled by Irfan Pathan for 7.
The middle-order collapsed and Misbah-ul-Haq was retired hurt after a brisk 18, late contributions from Sohail Tanvir (19* off 9) ensured Pakistan reached a respectable score.
Indian bowlers, led by Anureet Singh who clinched three wickets with support from Vinay Kumar, Pawan Negi and Irfan Pathan (one wicket each) were instrumental in containing Pakistan’s batting lineup.
In response, India Champions started their run chase with intent. Despite losing Robin Uthappa (10) early, Ambati Rayudu’s explosive 50 off 30 balls set the foundation for the chase for the Men in Blue.
Suresh Raina too departed cheaply for 4 in the same over, helping Pakistan make a comeback. But a strong partnership between Rayudu and Gurkeerat Singh Maan (34 off 33) kept India on track.
Rayudu and Mann also departed in a space of 10 runs but the momentum stayed firmly in India’s favour with Yusuf Pathan’s blistering 30 off 16 balls before the latter was dismissed in the penultimate over.
With captain Yuvraj Singh (15*) and Irfan Pathan (5*) at the crease, India sealed the win, finishing at 159 for 5 in 19.1 overs, much to the delight of their fans.
Pakistan’s bowlers, despite their best efforts, couldn’t halt India’s march towards the target. Aamer Yamin was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-0-29-2, supported by Sohail Tanvir and Sohail Khan, who took one wicket each.