I believe in national language… When KL Rahul gave instructions to Washington in Tamil, two giants clashed over language in the commentary box.

Vadodara: During the first ODI match played between India and New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday, along with cricket, an interesting incident related to language also came into discussion. In the initial overs of the match, when New Zealand’s openers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls were trying to establish themselves at the crease, the voice of Indian wicketkeeper KL Rahul was captured in the stump mic. Rahul was heard giving bowling instructions to spinner Washington Sundar in his mother tongue Tamil.

instructions given in tamil

It was clearly heard through the stump mic that KL Rahul was asking Washington Sundar to keep the speed of his balls low. Former Indian fast bowler Varun Aaron, reacting to this during the commentary, said that Rahul might have deliberately used Tamil language, so that Washington could understand his role better. According to Aaron, the easier the communication between the players, the stronger the coordination will be on the field.

Light spat in the comment box

This conversation took a slightly humorous turn when former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar quipped that he prefers to converse in the national language. Varun Aaron immediately reacted to this and said that he is not advocating only regional languages. Bangar again emphasized on the practical aspect and said that Washington had bowled the last ball at a speed of 92 kilometers per hour, hence understanding of bowling is more important than language.

Interesting combination of language and cricket

This entire incident also became a topic of discussion on social media, because there is no single national language in India. Although Hindi and English have the status of official languages, but on the field players often resort to their mother tongue or mutually understood language for smooth communication. This incident once again showed that cricket is not just a game but also a reflection of a country full of diversity.

Sanjay Bangar and Varun Aaron fighting over language in commentary 😭 pic.twitter.com/Yafw2DtH1D

—` (@justKohlitweetz) January 11, 2026

exciting result of the match

If we talk about the match, India defeated New Zealand by four wickets and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. Chasing the target of 301 runs, Virat Kohli batted brilliantly and scored 93 runs in 91 balls. Captain Shubhman Gill contributed 56 runs, while Shreyas Iyer returned unbeaten after scoring 49 runs. India achieved the target by losing six wickets in 49 overs.

Contribution of bowlers

For New Zealand, Kyle Jamieson bowled brilliantly and took four wickets for 41 runs in 10 overs. Before this, the Indian bowlers made a steady start. Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana took two wickets each, while Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav also made important contributions. Despite Darryl Mitchell’s half-century, the New Zealand team could not go beyond 300 runs.