In the second week of November, marking his 30th birthday, Kohli launched the 'Virat Kohli Official App', and while recording a promotional video, he came across a fan's note which read, 'He is an overrated batsman. Nothing seems special in his batting. I enjoy watching English and Australian batsman more than these Indians'
Mumbai: Ahead of India's much-awaited Australia tour which is scheduled to begin on November 21, a Committee of Administrators (COA) member of BCCI, in a WhatsApp message, asked the captain Virat Kohli to conduct himself in a civil and courteous manner with media and fans alike, as per a report in Mumbai Mirror.
“He was told to be humble, in his interactions both with the press and the public,” said a CoA official. Kohli was also called up by the administrators regarding the same issue.
In the second week of November, marking his 30th birthday, Kohli launched the “Virat Kohli Official App", and while recording a promotional video, he came across a fan's note which read, "He is an overrated batsman. Nothing seems special in his batting. I enjoy watching English and Australian batsman more than these Indians."
Also read: Virat Kohli creates controversy with 'leave India' comment
Feeling the need to get one's priorities sorted, Kohli replied saying, "I don't think you should live in India. Go and live somewhere else. Why are you living in our country and loving other countries?"
This didn't go down well with many Twitter users and cricket lovers for his so-called hyper-nationalist comment, who went on attacking and trolling him.
Some even picked out his self-introductory video during the 2008 Under-19 World Cup, where he was seen mentioning former South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs as his favourite cricketer.
Also read — India vs Australia 2018-19: Full schedule, squads, start times, live TV, streaming information
Even though Kohli later remarked that he was all for "freedom of choice" and urged the cricket fans to "take it lightly", CoA took this up seriously and asked the Delhi batsman to be courteous in his interactions.
Commenting on the issue, five-time former world champion chess Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand told PTI, "I think he lost control. He got a bit emotional and he just said the first thing that came to his mind. That's the attitude he is comfortable with. In sport, you see all characters and this is the character that fits him best. I try to be myself and in the end, you should be comfortable in your own skin."
Kohli was subdued at the pre-tour press conference on Thursday and his immediate response to the COA advice is still unknown, according to reports.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.