'Hey Sunny, Right Colour Cake for a Dark Boy': Laxman Sivaramakrishnan reveals Heartbreaking Birthday Memory from Pakistan Tour

Add as a preferred source on Google

Former India spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan has opened up about a deeply traumatic incident of racism he faced from within the Indian dressing room during the 1982-83 tour of Pakistan, when he was just 17 years old. \

In a candid interview, Sivaramakrishnan described how a senior teammate mocked his skin colour in front of the entire team on his birthday, leaving him in tears. Captain Sunil Gavaskar had to personally console the young leg-spinner before he could cut the cake.

The incident occurred when Gavaskar ordered a birthday cake to celebrate Sivaramakrishnan's milestone while the team was in Pakistan. A teammate reportedly looked at the dark chocolate cake and remarked to the captain: "Hey Sunny, you ordered the right colour cake. Such a dark chocolate cake for a dark boy."

Sivaramakrishnan recounted the moment with raw emotion.

"I started crying and refused to cut the cake. Then Sunil Gavaskar had to pacify me and then I cut the cake with tears in my eyes."

The 60-year-old, who played nine Tests and 16 ODIs for India and was part of the 1985 World Championship of Cricket-winning squad, said the remark was not an isolated event. He spoke of repeated taunts about his dark skin - being called "Karupa" in the Tamil Nadu dressing room, "Kalia" by crowds in northern India and Pakistan, and even being mistaken for ground staff as a 14-year-old.

These experiences, he revealed, severely dented his self-esteem and contributed to long-term mental health struggles, including depression and suicidal thoughts.

Sivaramakrishnan, who recently retired from commentary, had earlier kept these memories buried but chose to speak out now, highlighting how such "jokes" in the 1980s and '90s affected a prodigious talent hailed as India's next big spinning hope. Gavaskar, then captain and a father figure to the young player, emerged as his protector during the tour.

The revelations have sparked widespread discussion on racism within Indian cricket circles, with fans and former players expressing shock at the dressing-room incident involving one of the sport's most celebrated captains. Sivaramakrishnan, however, stopped short of naming the teammate responsible.