If you are not a voracious consumer of cricket content, you are probably wondering about the cryptic post made by Mumbai Indians (MI) a day after they beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Dharamsala. It shows Tilak Varma, the Player of the Match, emerging from darkness with a Bollywood song in the background, which talks about darkness and light. Let me save you from having to go through the comments on the post. A day before the match, Arshdeep Singh, the PBKS fast bowler, posted on Snapchat a video in which he draws the attention of Tilak by calling him "andhera". Or darkness. An unsubtle reference to the colour of Tilak's skin. He then proceeds to ask Tilak if he has applied sunscreen - because why do dark people need sunscreen or maybe it was a reference to a sunscreen ad Tilak did - and makes him stand next to MI's Naman Dhir. "This is the real glow of Punjab," Arshdeep pronounces. Since then a couple of other possibly similar "jokes" from Arshdeep's social media have been pointed out. Not sure if MI believe their tweet is a "fitting reply", but in case they do, it is not; it only serves to trivialise a comment that, if made on the field of play, could have led to the ejection of Arshdeep. It may be a trivial matter for Arshdeep, perhaps even for Tilak, although he looked awkward and uncomfortable in that video, but it is not trivial at all for those watching. Only recently we heard from L Sivaramakrishnan, legspin prodigy of the 1980s, how being taunted for his skin colour tormented him. Abhinav Mukund, incidentally again from the south, has spoken about this in the past. What might well be friendly banter can have a devastating impact on those watching. And this has been voluntarily put out by Arshdeep on his own social media. Just a minute's detour on why it could be trivial for Arshdeep. Sardars are one of the communities most targeted for their appearance. Forget the post-9/11 mistaking them for Arabs - both wear turbans, you see - in India you can possibly count on one hand normal Sardar characters in a Bollywood movie or popular culture. They are mostly goofballs, some are overzealously patriotic and will most likely be martyred within 15 minutes of their first appearance. You can't show a Sardar in the stands without Ravi Shastri infantilising them with a "balle balle". Look only as far as Navjot Sidhu, who continues to be a caricature despite a detour into serious political life. You might find it egregious that a man from one of the most harassed communities is indulging in something similar, but this is a possible instinctive reaction to being othered for your identity. Normalising abuse is a known coping mechanism. Also then you pick out vulnerable ones and go after them even before anyone can go after you. Tilak Varma was the Player of the Match against Punjab Kings•BCCI I went to Guru Harikrishan Public School. I had three classmates in one class, who were nicknamed by their parents, all different people, Kala, Gora and Bhoora. All Sardars. Subtlety is not Punjab's biggest suit. We sometimes just name a child based on their skin colour; formal names come in only when they start going to school. So in a way it is unfair to expect Arshdeep to think this is anything other than friendly banter between two team-mates, possible friends, who know each other better than we will know either of them ever. They are, after all, what our society is. A society in which it is commonplace to discriminate and other people based on religion, region, caste, class, colour of skin, gender and sexuality. On top of that, elite sport is such a competitive space that you will find bullies trying to mark their territory at every step of the way. This is not to suggest Arshdeep is a bully. This is just to give you context that nobody makes it nice or easy for you. Shoaib Akhtar once told me this was just a rite of passage, something that even built character. "It's very simple," he said. "When a youngster comes to a nets session, push him. Let him know he is going to be pushed around. He has to push back. I am going to bully you. You have to stop being bullied. "Think about the ball you are carrying. The batsman cannot bully you. This ball will go according to your wishes. You want him to do this, he will go and do what you want him to do." Despite all the context, we must remember Arshdeep has been to at least two ICC events, which means that on at least two occasions he has received training on what qualifies as racist or discriminatory behaviour, what bullying is, how to tackle it, how to respond to it and what you stand to lose if you are the perpetrator. The BCCI, the IPL and the teams are supposed to check this and make the sport a more inclusive space as opposed to either looking away or, worse, legitimising it as just "banter" by putting Tilak through the ordeal of being called "andhera" again, even if as a flex. Even though this didn't happen on the field of play, the BCCI and the IPL have an umbrella clause of bringing the game, the board or the IPL to disrepute should they want to take action and set the right example here. It might sound harsh, or "utter woke nonsense", to some, but we will all be better for it. Arshdeep not the least. Sidharth Monga is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo