Team India Announces New Vice-Captain for ODIs and T20Is as Kohli and Sharma Usher in Gambhir’s Coaching Era in Sri Lanka

David Johnson

2 years ago

New Title: Enzo Fernandez Apologizes for Offensive Song Directed at France Players During Copa America Celebrations Revised Article: By HT Sports Desk Jul 17, 2024 07:49 AM IST Apply Now Enzo Fernandez has issued an apology following a viral video showing Argentina's Copa America celebrations, where offensive chants targeting France's players were made. The Argentina midfielder took to Instagram to express his regret over the incident that occurred during their celebration after defeating Colombia 1-0 in the final held on July 14 in Miami. The video, initially posted on Enzo's Instagram Live, showed members of the Argentina squad singing a song with derogatory lyrics about France's players. Fernandez made it clear that there was no justification for the comments made in the video. "I want to apologize sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations. The song included highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words," Fernandez wrote on his Instagram story. "I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologize for getting caught up in the euphoria of our celebrations. That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my beliefs or my character. I am truly sorry," he added. In response, the French Football Federation (FFF) has announced plans to lodge a complaint with FIFA, citing the racist and discriminatory nature of the chants featured in the video. "Faced with the seriousness of these shocking remarks, contrary to the values of sport and human rights, the president of the FFF decided to directly appeal to his Argentinian counterpart and FIFA and to file a legal complaint for racially offensive and discriminatory remarks," the FFF stated. The offensive chants targeted French players of African heritage who hold French citizenship. "The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, condemns in the strongest terms the unacceptable racist and discriminatory remarks made against the players of the France team as part of a song sung by players and supporters of the Argentina team," the FFF added. The incident has also caused a backlash within Fernandez's club, Chelsea. One of his teammates, French international Wesley Fofana, reacted to the video on social media platform X, writing: "Football in 2024: uninhibited racism," accompanied by a clip from the video. Meta Description: Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez apologizes for offensive chants targeting France players during Copa America celebrations. The French Football Federation plans to lodge a complaint with FIFA. Top 1000 SEO Keywords: Enzo Fernandez apology Enzo Fernandez offensive song Enzo Fernandez racist chants Enzo Fernandez Copa America celebration Argentina France racist song Enzo Fernandez Instagram apology Enzo Fernandez statement Enzo Fernandez discrimination Enzo Fernandez Chelsea teammates Enzo Fernandez Wesley Fofana

The Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has chosen a new vice-captain for India’s upcoming ODIs and T20Is against Sri Lanka.

India has unveiled its squads for the T20I and One Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka. Under the new leadership of head coach Gautam Gambhir, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has assembled strong squads for the twin white-ball series. Batting legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will lead India’s ODI lineup for the series.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are leading India’s ODI squad for the Sri Lanka series.(AFP-ANI) Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are leading India’s ODI squad for the Sri Lanka series.(AFP-ANI) This white-ball series marks Gambhir’s first assignment as head coach of the Indian team. After steering the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title in 2024, Gambhir took over the coaching role from Rahul Dravid. As Indian cricket enters a transition period post a successful T20 World Cup, coach Gambhir and the national selectors have named Suryakumar Yadav as the new T20I captain of the Indian team.

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Shubman Gill Appointed as India’s New Vice-Captain In an interesting move, head coach Gambhir and the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar have appointed a new vice-captain for the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka. Former world no.1 batter Shubman Gill has been named the vice-captain for the twin series. Gill recently led a second-string Indian side to a 4-1 victory over Zimbabwe, with VVS Laxman as the coach.

T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohd. Siraj.

ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.