Virat Kohli, R Ashwin and co offer support to Abhinav Mukund's stand against racism

Colombo: Team India captain Virat Kohli and cricketers Ravichandran Ashwin, Hardik Pandya, Harbhajan Singh extended their support to Abhinav Mukund’s stance against racial abuse on Thursday.

The Tamil Nadu batsman has made his way back into the Indian team after a lean patch due to injuries. However, the southpaw has been a subject of racial abuse and hit back at racism with a heart warming message on Twitter.

Mukund's twitter post was backed by cricketers such as Indian skipper Virat Kohli and many others, who expressed solidarity.

"I have been playing cricket since the age of 10 and I have gradually climbed up the ladder to where I am right now. It is an honour to get the chance to represent the country at the highest level. I am writing today not to garner sympathy or attention but...with the hope to change the mindset of people on an issue I feel strongly about," Mukund mentioned in a Twitter post.

The southpaw revealed that he chose to focus on his game instead of people’s opinions.

"Ever since I was young, people's obsession with my skin colour has always been a mystery to me. Anyone who follows cricket would understand the obvious. I have played and trained day in and day out in the sun and not once have I regretted the fact that I have tanned or lost a couple of shades,” he wrote.

“It is simply because I love what I do and I have been able to achieve certain things only because I have spent hours outdoor. I come from Chennai probably one of the hottest places in our country and I have gladly spent most of my adult life in the cricket ground," he continued.

Mukund also revealed he chose to stay mum on the issue by toughening up. He said, "I have laughed and shrugged it off because I had bigger goals! Affected young, I toughened up because this was never something that would pull me down. There were many times when I chose not to dignify these insults with responses," added Mukund.

The Team India opener also stated the extent of the issues with the rise of social media and called for racism abuse victims to stand up.

"With the rise of social media, it has gone to a magnitude that I see people hurling abuses left, right and centre at something I have absolutely no control over. Fair isn't the only lovely or handsome guys. Stay true, stay focussed, be comfortable in your own skin", the India batsman concluded.