In a series of posts on X, the 60-year-old former leg-spinner claimed that shortly after the cremation of his elder brother, he was contacted by a senior official from the BCCI broadcasting setup and asked to travel for commentary duties.
“My elder brother passed away a few years earlier. We finished cremation in the evening, minutes after that, The Director Broadcasting of BCCI called me and said, ‘now that the cremation is over, can you take a flight the next morning to commentate on Ind v Aus Test in Mohali?’. I went,” Sivaramakrishnan wrote.
He added that despite his grief, he continued fulfilling professional responsibilities, recalling another personal tragedy during his career.
“I sacrificed the mourning and went. My mother passed away when I was doing commentary in Pune. Having done all that, I was subject to whatever I went through,” he wrote.
Sivaramakrishnan, who recently stepped away from the BCCI commentary panel citing alleged “colour discrimination”, suggested that the same individual he referred to was a major factor in his decision to retire, though he did not name the person directly.
Earlier in March, ahead of IPL 2026, he announced his retirement from commentary, alleging bias based on skin colour and claiming he was sidelined in favour of newer voices in the broadcast setup.
The former India cricketer, who represented the country in nine Tests and 16 ODIs, has also previously spoken about his struggles with mental health, including depression and anxiety during his broadcasting career.
In an earlier interview with The Indian Express, Sivaramakrishnan described a severe mental health crisis during the IPL season held in the UAE during the Covid-19 period, stating that he experienced hallucinations, insomnia, and extreme emotional distress.
“I was down completely and I didn’t want to see myself in the mirror. Whenever I was awake, I thought I was going to die,” he had said.
He also alleged long-standing discrimination within broadcasting circles, claiming he was often excluded from high-profile on-air roles such as toss presentations and match ceremonies due to perceptions about his appearance.
“I’ve never done a toss or a presentation,” he said, adding that producers were allegedly instructed not to assign him those responsibilities.
Sivaramakrishnan further reflected on how early experiences in his cricketing journey impacted his confidence and self-esteem, stating that these incidents had long-term emotional consequences.
The former spinner continues to be at the centre of discussion following his latest remarks, which have reignited conversations around mental health, workplace treatment, and discrimination within sports broadcasting.
