India pacer Jasprit Bumrah is facing criticism online following a controversial comment about South Africa captain Temba Bavuma during the first Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on November 14.
The remark came after Bumrah struck Bavuma on the back thigh while appealing for LBW in the 13th over of South Africa’s innings.
Caught on stump mic, Bumrah was heard saying, “Bauna bhi toh hai yeh,” which roughly translates to “He’s short as well.”
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The term ‘bauna’ in Hindi is used to refer to a dwarf.
Finally I found the clip of Jasprit Bumrah 😭
— CricSachin (@Sachin_Gandhi7) November 14, 2025
Listen carefully to what he is saying about Temba Bavuma.🙂 pic.twitter.com/gcgNZFiaza
Wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant responded, “bauna hai, par yaha pe laga hai,” indicating that the ball would have missed the stumps.
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The incident sparked backlash on social media, with fans criticizing Bumrah for making a personal remark about Bavuma’s height.
Many called it inappropriate, stressing that body shaming has no place in cricket.
Bumrah now risks disciplinary action under the ICC’s Code of Conduct.
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Article 2.13 covers “a Player or Player Support Personnel directing language of a personal, insulting, obscene and/or offensive nature at any Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire or Match Referee during an International Match.”
If the match referee finds Bumrah guilty, the consequences could range from a Level 2 breach, 50–100% match fee fine or up to two suspension points, to a Level 3 breach, which carries four to twelve suspension points.
However, officials may take context into account, considering whether the comment was made regarding the ball’s trajectory rather than as a personal insult.
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The incident has reignited discussions on the ICC’s strict Anti-Discrimination Policy, which aims to prevent any form of discrimination and ensure the game remains respectful and fair globally.
In 2019, Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed was suspended for four matches after admitting to making a racist comment at South Africa’s Andile Phehlukwayo during the Durban ODI.
The ICC stated Sarfraz must also attend “an education programme to promote the understanding and awareness of issues directly relevant to the offence that he has committed.”
During Phehlukwayo’s innings in the second ODI of the five match ODI series in 2019, Sarfraz was heard on stump mics saying in Urdu: “Abey kaale, teri ammi aaj kahaan baitheen hain? Kya parwa ke aaye hai aaj?” — literally: “Hey black guy, where’s your mother sitting today? What [prayer] have you got her to say for you today?”
Sarfraz apologised twice after that, a general public apology and a personal one to Phehlukwayo.
He also tweeted: “This morning I apologised to Andile Phehlukwayo and he was gracious enough to accept my apology and I hope the people of South Africa also accept my apology.”
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ICC CEO David Richardson at that time said, “The ICC has a zero-tolerance policy towards conduct of this nature. Sarfraz has promptly admitted the offence, was regretful of his actions and has issued a public apology, so these factors were taken into account when determining an appropriate sanction.”
Bumrah’s performance with the ball on day one was otherwise impressive, but this off-field controversy has drawn attention away from his cricketing achievements.
After the end of the first day’s play, India was 37 for the loss of one wicket, trailing South Africa’s first-innings total of 159 by 122 runs.
Bumrah was the standout bowler for India, taking 5 wickets for 27 runs.
