Sri Lankan star cricketer Bhanuka Rajapaksa made some adorable comments on the bats being used by the Indian cricketer. His controversial comment came while talking to Hari TV. He said that not every cricketer can bring the bat that Indian cricketers use.
Later, as his comments gained momentum on social media platforms and among cricket fans, the cricketer pointed out that his comments were wrongly translated, as he had meant to point out the advanced cricket facilities in India.
Is India violating cricket rules?
During the conversation, Rajapaksa said that when he was in India, he got to experience some Indian batsmen. He was a part of Punjab Kings for the IPL 2022 and IPL 2023 seasons. During this time he got a chance to keep a close eye on Indian cricket. He also catches some Indian bats.
The 34-year-old player said that the bats used by Indian cricketers seem as if they have an extra layer of rubber. He made this comment to explain how the Indian batsmen managed to hit the big shots with such ease. That ‘rubber layer’ comment, for legitimate reasons, did not go down well on the internet amid the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. A section of cricket fans might have thought that Sri Lankan cricket has accused India of bat tampering or violation of cricket rules.
What did Bhanuka Rajapaksa say?
Rajapaksa was quoted as saying, “Indian players have bats that are far better than the best bats we have. It feels like a layer of rubber has been put on. I can’t imagine how this is possible. These bats can’t even be bought by other people – all the players know that.”
Going a step further, he also said that what he said is not a secret; Everyone knows about it. “It may sound silly, but honestly that’s how I felt,” he said.
Later news came that Bhanuka Rajapaksa had given clarification on his comment. He claimed this could be due to translation; His comments were misunderstood. In his assessment, Bhanuka Rajapaksa explained that he wanted to praise the high standards of Indian cricket, such as their infrastructure, equipment standards and system. He also said that Indian bat manufacturers are the best in the world.
According to a Newswire report, Bhanuka Rajapaksa said in his explanation, “Rajapaksa said Indian cricket is ‘incredibly advanced’, pointing to its systems, infrastructure and equipment standards, and he described Indian bat manufacturers as among the best in the world. He further said that, he could have provided clear context, insisting that his comments were made with respect.”
Rajapaksa has played 45 T20 matches for Sri Lanka but is not a part of the T20 World Cup squad. Without his services, current ICC T20 World 2026 co-hosts Sri Lanka started their campaign with a win. After achieving an important win over Ireland, Sri Lanka will play its next match against Oman on 12th February.
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