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CHENNAI FANS OUTRAGED! 

18 Feb 2022

 Maheesh Theekshana’s inclusion in CSK As the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction came to a close last weekend, controversy erupted after reigning champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK), based in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, joined to its ranks Sri Lankan spin-bowler Maheesh Theekshana. Social media campaigns #Boycott_ChennaiSuperKings and #DontNormaliseTamilGenocide had begun on various internet platforms as the news spread of Theekshana, who plays for the Sri Lanka Army, joining the team. “The 21-year-old has previously praised the Sri Lanka Army, which has been accused of committing mass atrocities and genocide, for its involvement in cricket on the island,” reported The Tamil Guardian on 14 February 2022 in a news item under the title “Boycott Chennai Super Kings – Fans outraged after Sri Lankan army player joins IPL champions”.  “There are about 150 cricketers in the Army,” said Theekshana last year, praising the range of facilities available to soldiers to play cricket, the above report recalled. “This shows how much support the Army has given to uplift the game of cricket,” he had added. The report also mentioned that Theekshana had also “credited head of the Sri Lanka Army Shavendra Silva for helping him in his career, thanking him” in an interview with a weekly newspaper last year, indicating that Silva has been accused of war crimes.  In turn, the Sri Lanka Army had also praised the young cricketer – even posting an update on its official military website as Theekshana won a Man of the Match award when Sri Lanka played Namibia last year. “Army’s Outstanding Bowler Saves the Day,” read the headline, noted Tamil Guardian.  “Theekshana is part of the Army’s infamous Gajaba Regiment, responsible for atrocities such as the Mirusuvil massacre,” read the above report. “For fans of CSK in Tamil Nadu and around the world, Theekshana’s inclusion in the based squad has caused insult and outrage. Fans pointed to Sri Lanka’s genocide of Eelam Tamils and the military’s numerous assaults and murders of Tamil Nadu fishermen,” it added. “Though another Sri Lankan cricketer, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, a relative of the ruling Rajapaksa regime, has joined a different franchise, it is Theekshana’s purchase with CSK that has drawn the most ire,” said the report. With thousands of tweets and counting, the hashtag protest continues to trend on Twitter, noted the report. “Other users pointed to a previous policy of the Tamil Nadu Government in 2013, when it banned all IPL  matches involving Sri Lankan cricket players. Then Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha wrote a letter to the Indian Prime Minister explaining her actions and the overwhelming “anger” in the State at Sri Lanka’s “barbaric acts” towards the Tamils,” read the Tamil Guardian report. “The Government of Tamil Nadu will permit IPL matches to be held in Tamil Nadu, only if the organisers provide an undertaking that no Sri Lankan players, umpires, officials, or support staff would participate in these matches,” she added at the time. As hundreds of comments continued to be posted online, and the controversy continues to gain traction, CSK have yet to formally respond. This is not the first time that Sri Lankan cricketers have caused controversy in Tamil Nadu, remembered the report. In 2020, popular Kollywood actor Vijay Sethupathi faced widespread criticism after announcing that he was “honoured” to play the leading role in a film on the life of controversial Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan. Vijay Sethupathi dropped the project after Muralitharan asked him to pull out of the film in order to “avoid any problems to his acting career”.


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