Australian media has completely flipped its stance on Virat Kohli, leaving fans in shock after harshly labeling him a “joker” and “clown.”
On the first day of the Boxing Day Test, debutant Australian opener Sam Constas clashed with Kohli, prompting the media to ridicule the Indian star. This sudden shift contrasts sharply with the past, when Kohli was revered as “Holy Kohli.”
Back in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Kohli’s leadership saw India claim the series 2-1. But on the opening day of the current Test series in Melbourne, Kohli got into a heated exchange with Constas, leading to a storm of criticism from the media.
At just 19 years old, Constas had a stellar performance, scoring 60 runs.
In the 10th over of the match, Kohli and Constas collided shoulders, sparking a brief altercation. Usman Khawaja and the umpires quickly stepped in to de-escalate the situation.
As a result, Kohli was warned, fined 20% of his match fee, and given one demerit point.
The Australian media’s portrayal of Kohli in Friday’s newspapers was starkly different from the admiration he once received. Calling him a “clown” and a “joker,” some newspapers even published an image of Kohli with a baby bottle in his mouth.
Despite this, Kohli has scored 2,141 runs in 48 innings across 28 matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, maintaining an impressive average of 52.56, ranking fifth among cricket’s greatest, with 9 centuries and 5 half-centuries.
Meanwhile former Indian Crickter and Star Sports Expert Irfan Pathan,criticized double standards of Australian media . He said “First of all, newspapers and even some ex-cricketers here are showing heights of double standards One moment you are hailing a man as king, and the very next moment, when he shows some aggression on on the field, you are going to call him a joker?
He clarifies that while he isn’t supporting Kohli’s actions, but it is upto the umpire to decide: “We have never supported what he (Kohli) has done, but the referee is going to do his job, the necessary action will be taken. But calling him a joker after all of that. You are just using him and trying make cricket famous in the country again. But how are you doing that? You are using Virat Kohli’s market value, and we will absolutely not accept that.”
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