The 23-year-old left-arm pacer was heavily criticized and trolled on social media for missing a catch in the crucial Super 4 clash against Pakistan at the Asian Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
“Every athlete representing the country gives their best and always plays for the nation. They need our constant support and remember that in sports you win some and you lose some. Let’s keep cricket or any other sport safe from personal attack. @arshdeepsinghh keep working hard,” Tendulkar tweeted.
Every athlete representing the country gives their best and always plays for the nation. They need our constant support… https://t.co/sjT0Iqk49n
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) 1662461897000
“..and give the best response by playing on the pitch. I follow you closely. Best wishes.
Arshdeep had dropped a chance to grab spinner Ravi Bishnoi’s bowling short third man in the 18th to give the Pakistani striker a life Asif Ali in a tricky chase.
The pacer, however, quickly regained his composure and trapped Ali in front of the wicket with a perfect yorker in the final after fellow senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar bled 19 runs in the penultimate.
However, the vitriol was such that some fans hacked and edited Arshdeep’s wikipedia page, adding the objectionable term “Khalistani” to her name.
The hacker changed Arshdeep’s name to Major Arshdeep Singh Langra and then to Major Arshdeep Singh Bajwa. Soon corrective action was taken and the page was restored to its original form.
Among other cricketers, Virat Kohli, Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan also supported the youngster.
“Under pressure anyone can make a mistake. It’s a big game and the situation was tight,” Kohli said at the post-match press conference.
“I remember when I first played in the Champions Trophy. Against Pakistan, I remember taking a very bad shot from Shahid Afridi. Until 5am the next morning, I was not doing only staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep.
“I thought I would never have a game again, my career is over. So it’s natural to feel like that.”
