Kohli controversy: 'Abused' journalist speaks out
We list past incidents where the cricketer let his anger get the best of him
Indian batsman Virat Kohli. PHOTO: GQ INDIA
NEW DELHI/PERTH:
Virat Kohli has delighted Indian fans with his exploits in the middle but reports of an ugly spat with a journalist at the World Cup will only enhance his reputation within the press corps of being volatile and tetchy.
As the team's media manager moved quickly to limit the damage of an embarrassing encounter involving India's test skipper, a contradictory view of events in Perth was emerging from the nation's cricket journalists.
The incident took place at the Murdoch Oval, where India were training ahead of Friday's Pool B match against the West Indies at the WACA.
Related: Losing his koohl: Virat Kohli abuses journalist over Anushka
After finishing his net session, the 26-year-old batsman started swearing at an Indian national daily reporter over a story about the cricketer's private life, according to reports from journalists covering the World Cup.
Kohli, currently India's best batsman across all formats, later realised it was a case of mistaken identity and apologised to the target of his abuse through another journalist.
"There was a misunderstanding and no abusive language was used, Virat has spoken to the concerned gentlemen immediately and that ends the matter," the team's media manager RN Baba said in a statement on Wednesday.
In a column published in the Hindustan Times, the journalist subjected to Kohli's tirade said he was still in "shock".
"Go and tell him that he is an international player and he should learn how to behave," Jasvinder Sidhu told the intermediary to inform Kohli after receiving the apology.
"How can he abuse and intimidate someone?
"I would like to add that Kohli did not apologise to me directly."
Kohli has often polarised opinion over his regular run-ins with opposition players and was fined half of his match fee in 2012 for responding to barracking from the crowd by gesturing at them with his middle finger during a Sydney test.
Related: I receive a lot of love from Pakistan: Anushka Sharma
There were also multiple reports of him having a dressing-room spat with team mate Shikhar Dhawan during the recent test series in Australia after he had to bat at short notice following an injury to the opener.
The debacle against the journalist in Perth is not the first time the cricketer has let his anger get the best of him. The Times of India looked back at past such events involving the batsman.
Here they are:
Kohli VS Gambhir (April 2013)
A fight between Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir during their India Premier League took cricket fans by surprise. While Gambhir among other players walked towards the pavilion to celebrate their win, Kohli charged towards Gambhir and made a rude remark.
Yelling at Wankhede (April 2013)
In a tense IPL game against Mumbai Indians, Kohli lost his cool after being targetted by a section of the crowd and retaliated. Speaking after the game which his team lost, the RCB captain rued that the spectators had forgotten that he also represented their country.
"It feels a bit weird because at the end of the day you play for India and you don't come here to be hated," he said.
Angry at an abusive group of spectators at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Kohli stuck out his middle finger at the hecklers on the second day of the India-Australia Test. Kohli later defended himself on Twitter, saying, "I agree cricketers don't have to retaliate. What about when the crowd says the worst things about your mother and sister? The worst I've heard."
Quarrel with photographers (October 2009)
Kohli was involved in a spat with photographers at Nagpur just before the start of India's ODI against Australia. As he was training, one of his shots almost hit a camera belonging to a photographer who, along with other cameramen, was sitting behind the advertisement hoardings. Kohli paid little heed to their request to train somewhere else, leading to a verbal free-for-all.
Virat Kohli has delighted Indian fans with his exploits in the middle but reports of an ugly spat with a journalist at the World Cup will only enhance his reputation within the press corps of being volatile and tetchy.
As the team's media manager moved quickly to limit the damage of an embarrassing encounter involving India's test skipper, a contradictory view of events in Perth was emerging from the nation's cricket journalists.
The incident took place at the Murdoch Oval, where India were training ahead of Friday's Pool B match against the West Indies at the WACA.
Related: Losing his koohl: Virat Kohli abuses journalist over Anushka
After finishing his net session, the 26-year-old batsman started swearing at an Indian national daily reporter over a story about the cricketer's private life, according to reports from journalists covering the World Cup.
Kohli, currently India's best batsman across all formats, later realised it was a case of mistaken identity and apologised to the target of his abuse through another journalist.
"There was a misunderstanding and no abusive language was used, Virat has spoken to the concerned gentlemen immediately and that ends the matter," the team's media manager RN Baba said in a statement on Wednesday.
In a column published in the Hindustan Times, the journalist subjected to Kohli's tirade said he was still in "shock".
"Go and tell him that he is an international player and he should learn how to behave," Jasvinder Sidhu told the intermediary to inform Kohli after receiving the apology.
"How can he abuse and intimidate someone?
"I would like to add that Kohli did not apologise to me directly."
Kohli has often polarised opinion over his regular run-ins with opposition players and was fined half of his match fee in 2012 for responding to barracking from the crowd by gesturing at them with his middle finger during a Sydney test.
Related: I receive a lot of love from Pakistan: Anushka Sharma
There were also multiple reports of him having a dressing-room spat with team mate Shikhar Dhawan during the recent test series in Australia after he had to bat at short notice following an injury to the opener.
The debacle against the journalist in Perth is not the first time the cricketer has let his anger get the best of him. The Times of India looked back at past such events involving the batsman.
Here they are:
Kohli VS Gambhir (April 2013)
PHOTO: INDIA TODAY
A fight between Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir during their India Premier League took cricket fans by surprise. While Gambhir among other players walked towards the pavilion to celebrate their win, Kohli charged towards Gambhir and made a rude remark.
Yelling at Wankhede (April 2013)
Kohli speaks to reporters following the debacle. PHOTO: AFP
In a tense IPL game against Mumbai Indians, Kohli lost his cool after being targetted by a section of the crowd and retaliated. Speaking after the game which his team lost, the RCB captain rued that the spectators had forgotten that he also represented their country.
"It feels a bit weird because at the end of the day you play for India and you don't come here to be hated," he said.
PHOTO: ESPN CRIC INFO
Angry at an abusive group of spectators at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Kohli stuck out his middle finger at the hecklers on the second day of the India-Australia Test. Kohli later defended himself on Twitter, saying, "I agree cricketers don't have to retaliate. What about when the crowd says the worst things about your mother and sister? The worst I've heard."
Quarrel with photographers (October 2009)
PHOTO: THE TIMES OF INDIA
Kohli was involved in a spat with photographers at Nagpur just before the start of India's ODI against Australia. As he was training, one of his shots almost hit a camera belonging to a photographer who, along with other cameramen, was sitting behind the advertisement hoardings. Kohli paid little heed to their request to train somewhere else, leading to a verbal free-for-all.