Laxman Sivaramakrishnan Details Racism in Cricket Career

Former Indian legspinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan has publicly detailed a lifetime of racism and colorism that he says scarred his cricket career and personal life, from his teenage debut to his recent retirement as a commentator. The 60-year-old, who played nine Tests and 16 one-day internationals between 1983 and 1987, shared these experiences in recent interviews, highlighting incidents that began when he was just 14 years old.

Sivaramakrishnan's troubles started at Chennai's Chepauk stadium, where he served as a net bowler for the Indian team. A senior batter mistook him for ground staff due to his dark complexion and ordered him to clean his shoes. "I just looked at him and said, that's none of my business, you just do what you need to do," Sivaramakrishnan recalled. Though he stood his ground, the encounter introduced him to biases he would face repeatedly.

As he progressed in domestic cricket with Tamil Nadu, teammates nicknamed him "karupa," a Tamil term mocking dark skin. The hostility extended to the field. While fielding near boundaries in northern cities such as Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Jalandhar, crowds chanted "Kalia, tera kya hoga," a derogatory phrase targeting his...