IND vs NZ: Two Ex-India player involved in Language row during Commentary

During the first ODI between India and New Zealand in Vadodara, a lively exchange unfolded in the commentary box between former cricketers Varun Aaron and Sanjay Bangar over on-field communication language.

The debate ignited in the 12th over when Washington Sundar struggled against Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls, bowling too quickly and leaking runs in his opening spell.

KL Rahul stepped in with advice for Sundar, saying in Hindi, "Medium pacer jaise daal rahe ho yar, spinner ho, thoda ball ko dheema fekho, (Bowling like a medium pacer, you are a spinner, bowl it slowly)" urging slower deliveries.

Aaron argued Rahul should have used Tamil, Sundar's native tongue from Chennai, for clearer understanding, and sought Bangar's view. Bangar countered firmly, stating, "Mai rashtra bhasha me believe karta hun (I believe in national language)," championing Hindi as the national language.

Aaron's suggestion holds merit in India's diverse cricket landscape, where native languages often ease high-pressure exchanges, especially for a South India-raised player like Sundar. Rahul, from Karnataka and familiar with Tamil, later switched to it, prompting Sundar to adjust pace successfully. Yet Bangar's emphasis on Hindi underscores a broader push for unity through a common tongue in national teams.

But the bigger questions lies somewhere else. Is Hindi a national language? Although Bangar proudly flaunted Hindi as national language, it is nothing but false!

India has no National Language

India's constitution depicts that the country has no such National Languages. Hindi has been termed as Official Language but by no means it has a 'National' label to it. Hence, the term that Bangar used may have subjective impprtance, but its factually wrong.

Speaking about the match, India beat the Kiwis by 4 wickets. Chasing 301 runs, India lost Rohit Sharma early, but Shubman Gill (56) and Virat Kohli (93) rebuilt with a 118-run stand, followed by Shreyas Iyer's 49. Virat kohli departed after batting superbly and India had a mini bump, but KL Rahul's composed knock at the end took them over the line.

With a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, the juggernaut now shifts to Rajkot as the match is set to be played on January 14.