Virendra Sehwag wants 'Bharat' branded on cricketers' jerseys for world cup

The official invitation sent to delegates of G20 referred to the head of state as 'President of Bharat', sparking controversy

Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to print "Bharat" on the Indian players' jerseys for the upcoming ICC World Cup.

The official invitation sent to delegates of G20 for a dinner hosted by President Murmu, sparked controversy around India's name. The invitation referred to the head of state as "President of Bharat". This is the first time this has ever happened and it made headlines in the country. Reports also suggested that the Centre is expected to bring in a resolution to rename India as Bharat in the upcoming special session of the Parliament

Reacting to this, the former cricketer tweeted his support for the name, "Team India nahin #TeamBharat."

Tagging BCCI in another tweet, Sehwag wrote, "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 Bharat on our chest."

The post received mixed responses from fans. While some showed their support, others called out Sehwag as this was not just a political move but also a matter of the nation's culture, history, and the emotions of the citizens.

Reacting to the comments, Sehwag stated that name changes were common and not unique to India. Using the Netherlands as an example, when the country represented itself as "Holland" once before reverting to the Netherlands.

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"

Many speculate the name change may be in response to the formation of the INDIA alliance. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took a jibe at the Centre asking if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will rename Bharat if INDIA bloc rechristens itself "BHARAT".