Kohli in spotlight again — police case filed in India's Bengaluru

Dubai: Virat Kohli can’t seem to stay out of the spotlight — whether it’s for sledging on the pitch or legal trouble off it.

The Indian cricket star, who is preparing for Tuesday’s IPL Season 18 final in Ahmedabad, is once again in the news after Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park Police registered a case against his pub, One8 Commune. The complaint? The restaurant allegedly failed to provide a designated smoking area.

Police have booked the establishment under various provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), which regulates smoking in public spaces. It’s not the first time Kohli’s pub has run into trouble — an FIR was filed last June for operating beyond permitted hours, and in December, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike issued a notice for not obtaining a fire safety No Objection Certificate.

Kohli also made headlines during Qualifier 1, when he targeted young Punjab Kings batter Musheer Khan with some classic sledging. As Musheer walked in as an Impact Substitute during a tense moment in the innings, Kohli — fielding at slip — was heard remarking aloud that the Mumbai youngster had only recently been serving drinks to senior players and was now walking out to bat.

The comment, caught on video and widely circulated, appeared to rattle the 19-year-old, who played a loose shot and was dismissed cheaply.

“Virat has a competitive nature; even if he plays with his own baby, he would like to win,” said former India pacer Atul Wassan on OTTplay’s Bails and Banter show. “One should not feel bad about it. When you are playing the game, consider yourself equal, and don’t expect an inch, nor give an inch.”

Wassan defended Kohli’s behaviour, saying sledging was part of cricket’s mental battle.

“If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime. If someone is doing it within the line, it’s fine. Sledging is a mixture of sarcasm, wit and being obnoxious,” he added.

To his credit, Kohli later gifted his bat to Musheer after their league-stage encounter — a small gesture from a fierce competitor.