Yuvraj, Harbhajan called out by Indian Paralympic community for ‘disgusting, insensitive’ WCL act, asked to apologise

A video from the India Champions dressing room went viral on social media on Sunday, where cricket legends Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina were seen dancing to the viral dancer number ‘Tauba Tauba‘ from the newly-released Bollywood movie Bad Newz. The celebration among the veteran cricketers came on the heels of their triumphant performance in the recently-concluded World Championship of Legends in Birmingham, where India Champions beat Pakistan Champions in the final.

Following the title win, players of India Champions tried to join the ongoing social media trend of attempting the hook step of ‘Tauba Tauba‘ song, performed by actor Vicky Kaushal in the movie. However, there was a twist. The ex-cricketers limped to the song’s beats to show that their participation in the intense tournament over the last fortnight took a physical toll on their bodies.

“Body ki Tauba Tauba ho Gayi in 15 days legends cricket.. Every part of th body is sore . Straight competition to our brothers @vickykaushal09 @karanaujla our version of Tauba Tauba dance. What a SONG,” wrote Harbhajan in a collaborated post with Yuvraj and Raina.

However, the dance video did not go down well with Indian para-swimmer Shams Aalam, who reckoned that the former India cricketers shamed the disabled community, as he labelled the act as “pathetic and unacceptable.”

Taking to Instagram, he wrote: “Harbhajan, Yuvraj and other respected team members. We understand that body pain after events or practice but the way you guys are expressing it on social media is making fun of disabled community which is not acceptable. I know my comments will not affect you and your team members but imagine if something happens like this with one of your close one. Will you still express your pain in this way? We all respect you guys. Hopefully, you guys will understand and act accordingly.

Later, Paralympic India too reacted to the post, calling out their “disgusting and insensitive” behaviour in a scathing response. They wrote: “Behavior is disgusting & insensitive. As Star celebrity cricket players have a responsibility to set a positive example. but mimicking the movements of individuals with disabilities, using derogatory gestures & making fun of their physical limitations. Mocking disabilities is not just a joke – it is a form of discrimination. It is time for them to apologize for their actions.”

Earlier in the match, Pakistan Champions set a target of 157, which was chased down in 19.5 overs by India Champions, courtesy of a fiery fifty of Ambati Rayudu.