Virat Kohli has been recently in talks over the interaction that he had with Jonny Bairstow while on the pitch. But this isn’t the first time Virat is having an altercation on the field. Virat Kohli is the flag bearer of aggression in Indian Cricket. He was the first Indian player who dared to play along and sled the Australians in their backyard. One cannot simply forget the change in the attitude of the Indian Team after Virat was appointed as captain. Here is a look at the top 10 moments where Virat was caught sledding the opponents:
1) Virat Kohli and Mitchell Johnson Altercation:
One of the top battles in cricket on-field was Mitchell Johnson of his prime against Virat Kohli. Coming just after an elite 2013 Ashes Summer and smashing every stump out of the ground, Mitchell Johnson was all fired up. In the first test match against India, the world witnessed this battle. Johnson attempted a non-existent run-out at the striker’s end and ended up hitting Kohli with the ball. Kohli got all fired up! He took the bowlers to the cleaners for the entire series. He ended the series with 4 hundred.
2) Tim Paine Sledges the King:
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy of 2018/2019 was very eventful. This was the first time when India won the series in Australia. The first test in Adelaide was won by India. The next one was in Melbourne. Virat Kohli was feeling himself after scoring a hundred in the first innings. He showed his aggression towards Australian skipper Tim Paine. The exact words were, “If he messes it up, it’s 2-0 in the series.”
3) Virat Kohli and James Faulkner:
The Australian bowlers don’t seem to be good learners. Many Australian legends like Ricky Ponting have previously spoken about not sledding Virat Kohli. But James Faulkner didn’t do his homework well. In the 2016 ODI series, James went on to sled Virat by saying, “You tried to smash me there, but you failed.”. Virat being as wise as possible said, “I’ve smashed you enough in my life. Don’t waste your time, go bowl.”
4) Rubel Hossein:
Rubel Hossein seems to have a grudge against Virat Kohli. He has had altercations with Virat in the 2011 and 2015 World Cup as well. Hossein and Virat first met in the 2011 World Cup Game. The game was miserable for the Bangladeshis. Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli took them to the cleaners. Hossein was all charged up and gave Virat a big stare down. Virat replied in the most Delhiite way possible, “Chup Chap Bowling Kar B****ke”.
5) Virat Kohli and James Anderson:
Virat Kohli and James Anderson also haven’t had the best of histories. It is a battle of both the elite players when on the field but it had come down to an exchange of words in the India Tour of England 2021. Virat Kohli went on to say something based on these lines, “This is not your backyard, go and bowl!”.
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