Former Chennai Super Kings and India batsman S Badrinath has responded after facing criticism for a remark he made on-air during the IPL 2026 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI) in Raipur on Sunday.
The 45-year-old took to social media platform X to clarify his comments, saying his intention during the broadcast was to highlight Ryan Rickelton’s sportsmanship rather than make a literal or offensive remark. He also pointed out that his use of colloquial Tamil on commentary may have led to confusion or misinterpretation.
Badrinath said the point he was trying to make was about appreciating Rickelton’s gesture on the field, and not the specific wording that later circulated online. He added that, in such situations, his instinct would always be to step in and help a fellow cricketer rather than ignore him.
“Let him die there”… that’s not going to be my attitude. I will go and stretch him. Great gesture from Ryan Rickelton.. Fair Play points should be given to him and MI for that. This is what I said on air, for people who don’t understand colloquial Tamil,” the former India cricketer wrote.
“Let him die there”… that’s not going to be my attitude. I will go and stretch him. Great gesture from Ryan Rickelton.. Fair Play points should be given to him and MI for that.
This is what I said on air, for people who don’t understand colloquial Tamil. 🙏
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) May 11, 2026
The controversy started during the match when Krunal Pandya went down in visible discomfort due to severe cramps while batting in a tense chase. As he lay on the ground struggling, MI wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton immediately ran over to check on him, a moment that was widely praised for its sportsmanship.
However, while discussing the incident on commentary, Badrinath’s choice of words sparked criticism on social media, with some users feeling the phrasing was inappropriate and too harsh for the situation.
Here is the translation of S Badrinath’s commentary from yesterday…. he said, “it’s ok if opposition says, hey die in cramps.”….. how shameless someone could be 🤢🤢 pic.twitter.com/WRu5owS6RA
— King In The North👑👑 (@KingInThe2North) May 11, 2026
The incident took place during a closely fought game in Raipur, where Pandya played an excellent innings despite physical strain. Battling cramps on a challenging surface, he scored a vital 73 off 46 balls, hitting four boundaries and five sixes while anchoring RCB’s chase of 167.
His effort kept RCB in the hunt deep into the final over, before they eventually edged out the MI by two wickets off the last ball of the match.
