Highlights
- Viral video showed Indian cricket captain reading out a cricket fan's comment, who prefers English and Australian batsmen instead of Indian.
- He responded: “I don’t think you should live in India, go and live somewhere else."
- Tweeps criticised the cricketer for hate-mongering.
Dubai: Indian skipper Virat Kohli is facing the heat on social media after a video went viral, in which he asks a cricket lover to leave India if he doesn’t enjoy watching Indian batsmen.
In the video, Kohli reads out the comment, which says Kohli is overrated, adding: “I enjoy watching English and Australian batsmen more than these Indian.”
Kohli promptly rebukes the cricket lover and asks him to leave the country: “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? I don’t mind you not liking me, but I don’t think you should live in our country and like other things. Get your priorities right.”
The video quickly went viral, with tweeps shaming the Indian captain for hate-mongering.
@AnnuJal wrote: “This doesn’t make me like you one bit @imVkohli. Stop being a BJP spokesperson and focus on your game. In other words, shut up and go play!”
Other social media users shared a clip from the U-19 World Cup in 2008, in which Kohli can be seen saying that his favourite cricketer is the South African Herschelle Gibbs. Kohli was the captain of the Under-19 team that won the cup.
A fan of Kohli from Pakistan, @UrslanH, tweeted: “So sorry to hear this, I always loved @imVkohli as I felt he is a wonderful sportsman and a super fit person, seems Kohli still has to go a long way to become human being. Why does he want people to leave #India for having a personal liking or preference? May be Hindutva mindset catching up!”
Others pointed to the hypocrisy of criticising people for enjoying anything that is not from India.
@Kens103 summarised the apparent love of non-Indian things in Kohli’s life, writing: “Married in a foreign country. Supports foreign countries in other sports. Plays a sport originating from a foreign country instead of playing kabaddi. Talks in a foreign language many times. Wears foreign dresses. Is he in his right mind speaking these words now?”
Kohli married Bollywood star Anushka Kohli in December last year in Italy. However, the two have gotten into trouble on social media earlier, too. They faced criticism for filming someone littering on the roads in Mumbai.
The two were served a legal notice in June by the person filmed, with the person demanding an apology.
