Bengaluru: The raging language debate in Karnataka has reached the sports arena with a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader questioning the number of Kannadigas or native Kannada speakers in the Indian Premier League’s Bengaluru-based franchise RCB.
The former national general secretary of the party said money is the only consideration for IPL cricketers and they have no other connection with the place they represent.
“Players are openly auctioned off for money. Based on money, teams are formed. Is there a feeling of state or nationalism in that? Today whoever you call RCB will tomorrow go to JCB. You (media) tell me how many Kannadigas are there in the RCB team,” Ravi told reporters Monday evening.
Ravi’s comments come a day before the Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take on the Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings in the IPL final Tuesday evening in Ahmedabad. The RCB have never won the tournament but command a loyal fan base who expect the Rajat Patidar-led side to lift its first-ever trophy since the tournament started in 2008.
State’s political leaders including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy D.K. Shivakumar and several others have wished the team luck. Shivakumar has even posted a video message wearing an RCB jersey.
Ee Sala Cup Namde! ♥️🏆
18 years of grit.
Every prayer, every cheer, every heartbreak – it all leads to today.
This is more than a match.
Our moment. Our Cup.
Wishing @RCBTweets the very best – Karnataka is with you!#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/cTmRhjgjts— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) June 3, 2025
Ravi’s comments come in the middle of the larger debate around language in Bengaluru with frequent fissures between native Kannada speakers and ‘outsiders’.
The controversy around veteran actor Kamal Haasan’s statement over the issue refuses to die down after the 70-year-old said last week that “Kannada was born out of Tamil”. The Karnataka film chamber has threatened to ban the release of his upcoming film Thug Life if he does not apologise.
The online war surrounding the alleged imposition of Hindi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government has started to play out on the streets of India’s IT capital which has in the past seen violence over divisive issues.
Two days ago, a Hindi-speaker was seen hitting an auto driver with her slippers in a case of road rage. The issue soon took a turn when pro-Kannada activists filed a case against the woman and made her fall at the feet of the auto driver and apologise.
In April, an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer, Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose, shared two videos online in which he appeared bloodied and claimed he and his wife, a squadron leader, were assaulted for being ‘outsiders’ in Karnataka. It drew widespread reactions across the country.
More videos surfaced later which purportedly showed he was involved in a road rage incident. The official had allegedly twisted it to claim he was assaulted as a result of the language debate.
ThePrint has earlier reported on the growing ‘language militancy’ in India’s IT capital, where a section of people is violating laws, discriminating against, or denying services, to people on either side of the pro-Kannada and pro-Hindi debate.
Some social media users have questioned if the RCB batting mainstay and its former captain Virat Kohli can speak Kannada, and why he was being treated differently than other migrants in the city. Ravi’s comments only fuelled the debate.
He, however, emphasised the distinction between franchise cricket and India’s domestic cricket tournament.
When cricketers play the Ranji tournament, they represent their states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra and other states, but there is no such connection in the IPL, he said.
The RCB, who have made the finals three times before this edition but have never won the tournament, are an assortment of players from across the world.
RCB captain Rajat Patidar represents Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket, the team’s batting great Kohli represents Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. Batter Mayank Agarwal represents Karnataka. All-rounder Manoj Bhandage also represents Karnataka.
Among other players, opening batter Phil Salt is from England, wicket-kapper batter Jitesh Sharma represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Swastik Chhikara represent Uttar Pradesh, while Josh Hazlewood represents Australia.
“There is no feeling like it’s our state (or city) team as money is the only consideration for players and there is no other connection. Why should we spoil our heads over this,” he said when asked about the RCB potentially winning the trophy.
He also rued the players getting all the publicity and adulation, asking why soldiers giving their lives and farmers growing food for everybody do not have such followings or are given such publicity. “We should just take this as a sport and nothing else,” he said of the IPL.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also Read: Digital guardians of Kannada are waging a new language war in Karnataka against Hindi imposition
