India batting legend Virender Sehwag has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to change the name of the Indian cricket team from “India” to “Bharat” on their official jerseys for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2023. Sehwag, in a series of tweets, said that the name “India” was given by the Britishers and that it is time to revert to the original name, “Bharat”.
“I have always believed that a name should be one which instills pride in us. We are Bhartiyas, India is a name given by the British and it has been long overdue to get our original name ‘Bharat’ back officially,” Virender Sehwag tweeted. “I urge the @BCCI @JayShah to ensure that this World Cup our players have Bharat on our chest,” he added.
I have always believed a name should be one which instills pride in us.
We are Bhartiyas ,India is a name given by the British & it has been long overdue to get our original name ‘Bharat’ back officially. I urge the @BCCI @JayShah to ensure that this World Cup our players have… https://t.co/R4Tbi9AQgA— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) September 5, 2023
Virender Sehwag also pointed out that the Netherlands used the name “Holland” as their official name for the 1996 ODI World Cup and that Burma has also reverted to its original name, Myanmar.
WATCH – Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Rahul Dravid Gracefully Award Medals To Nepal Players
“In the 1996 World Cup, Netherlands came to play in the World cup in Bharat as Holland. In 2003 when we met them, they were the Netherlands & continue to be so. Burma have changed the name given by the British back to Myanmar. And many others have gone back to their original name,” he wrote.
In the 1996 World Cup ,Netherlands came to play in the World cup in Bharat as Holland. In 2003 when we met them, they were the Netherlands & continue to be so.
Burma have changed the name given by the British back to Myanmar.
And many others have gone back to their original name— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) September 5, 2023
The BCCI has not yet responded to Sehwag’s request. The Indian cricket team on Tuesday named a 15-man squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup. The squad includes all the big names, including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah. India will begin their World Cup campaign against Australia in Chennai on October 5.
ALSO READ: Ajit Agarkar Reveals He Has High Hopes From India’s 2023 World Cup Squad
It remains to be seen whether the BCCI will heed Sehwag’s request and change the name of the Indian cricket team to “Bharat” for the ODI World Cup 2023.
Full Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah
