Is it necessary to introduce cricket everywhere? Uproar over Manu Bhakar’s question regarding Vaibhav Suryavanshi, uproar on social media!

Manu Bhaker Controversy: A big controversy has arisen on social media regarding a statement regarding the Indian Premier League 2026, in which Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker and young cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi have come into discussion.

The whole matter started when during a program of National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) organized in Delhi, journalists asked Manu Bhakar questions about the performance and future of Vaibhav Suryavanshi. On this, Manu Bhakar gave a restrained response and talked about the importance of proper guidance and hard work in sports.

Debate broke out on social media

However, the debate on this question intensified on social media. Many users called it unfair and said that questioning an Olympic medalist on cricket is like belittling his achievements. Some sports analysts and former cricket officials also objected to this.

Folks, she is an Olympic medalist. To ask her what she thinks of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is unfair on her achievements and her sports. Cricket anyway is the ruling passion of the country, your sports editors do not need another celebrity quote to spin a headline on Sooryavanshi.…

— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) April 27, 2026

Why is there an uproar on social media?

Even though Manu Bhaker gave a positive answer, people found it unpleasant to ask questions about cricket to an Olympic medalist. Former KKR director Joy Bhattacharya, while reacting sharply on Twitter, wrote that he is an Olympic medalist. Asking him about Vaibhav Suryavanshi is an insult to his achievements. Is any cricketer ever asked about budding shooters? Next time try asking Vaibhav about Manu Bhakar, then you will know.

What are Vaibhav and Manu doing?

Vaibhav Suryavanshi is in the news recently due to his excellent performance in IPL. He has made headlines by playing explosive innings at a very young age and is also said to be leading in the Orange Cap race this season. Manu Bhaker, on the other hand, is one of India’s top shooters, who created history by winning two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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This entire controversy has once again sparked a debate as to how much attention and respect athletes from other sports get amid the growing influence of cricket in India. Many people on social media also raised the question whether players of other sports are also questioned in the same manner on cricket or not. At present, there is no direct confrontation on this controversy from both the players, but this issue remains a topic of discussion regarding sports journalism and balanced coverage of sports.