Kohli Blasts 'Spineless', 'Pathetic' Critics
India captain Virat Kohli launched a blistering attack on his team's critics on Saturday, blasting them as "spineless" and "pathetic", reserving particular vitriol for the trolls who blamed Mohammed Shami, the only Muslim player in the squad, for the loss to Pakistan.
Kohli was furious over the social media reaction to his team's 10-wicket rout at the hands of India's arch-rivals in their opening game of the T20 World Cup.
"There's a good reason why we are playing on the field and not a bunch of spineless people on social media that have no courage to actually speak to any individual in person," said Kohli.
"It has become a social pandemic in today's world, which is so unfortunate and so sad to see because this is literally the lowest level of human potential that one can operate at. And that's how I look at these people."
Kohli was particularly angry over the abuse aimed at Shami who played in the defeat.
"Attacking someone over their religion is the most pathetic thing that a human being can do," said Kohli.
"They have no understanding of how much effort we put on the field. They have no understanding of the fact that someone like Mohammed Shami has won India matches in the last few years.
"Honestly I don't even want to waste one minute of my life to give any attention to those people and neither does Shami and neither does anyone else on the team."
In an indication of the passion and controversy generated by the rivalry, India police arrested three Muslim students and a teacher for celebrating Pakistan's crushing victory.
The arrests came after police launched an investigation into several hundred students who burst into celebrations in Kashmir following last Sunday's match which was watched by millions across South Asia.
Anti-India sentiment is widespread and deep in Muslim-majority Kashmir, a Himalayan territory claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan.
Last weekend was the first time in 13 white-ball World Cup meetings that Pakistan had defeated India.
Since then, Pakistan have won two more games against New Zealand and Afghanistan to move to the brink of the semi-finals.
On Sunday, India played their second match against New Zealand.
"It's been a long break for us. It's been a lot of time waiting and just doing nothing, really, for us as a team," admitted Kohli of the lopsided schedule.
"Now we're just itching to go back on the park and be competing again and look to correct the things that didn't happen well in the first game."
New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult said he had watched how fellow left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi had ripped out India openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul last weekend.
Boult said he intended to "mirror" Shaheen's heroics.
"If Trent says he wants to replicate what Shaheen did against us, obviously he's motivated to do so and we have to be motivated to counter that and try to put pressure on him and the other bowlers as well," said Kohli.
"That's how basically the game goes anyway. We played against all these bowlers for a long period of time. And we understand exactly what we need to do."
Kohli will step down as captain of the T20 team at the end of the tournament as India look to add the 2021 title to their victory at the inaugural event in 2007.
According to another story ‘We weren’t brave enough with bat or ball – Virat Kohli after India’s latest loss’ by David Charlesworth,Virat Kohli believes India were not brave enough against New Zealand after another heavy defeat left the pre-tournament favorites’ hopes of a T20 World Cup semi-final spot on a knife edge.
India suffered a 10-wicket thrashing against Pakistan last weekend, the first time they had been beaten by their arch rivals in a World Cup, and matters worsened on Sunday after losing by eight wickets to New Zealand in Dubai.
Only Scotland sit below Kohli’s side in their Super 12 group, with India’s hopes of progression to the knockout stages not only resting on them winning their remaining games but also relying on results going in their favor.
Their miserly total of 110 for seven after being asked to bat first was overhauled with 33 balls to spare by the Black Caps, courtesy of 49 from 35 balls by Daryl Mitchell while Kiwi captain Kane Williamson was unbeaten on 33.
A chastened Kohli, who will stand down as India T20 captain at the end of the tournament, said at the presentation ceremony: “I thought we were not brave enough with bat or ball.
“New Zealand had better intensity and body language and put us under pressure from the first ball onwards. When you play for the Indian cricket team you have a lot of expectations – not just from fans, but players as well.
“There’s always going to be more pressure with our games, and we’ve embraced it over the years. Everyone who plays for India has to embrace it.
“And when you cope together as a team you overcome it and we haven’t done it these two games. Just because you’re the Indian team and there are expectations doesn’t mean you start playing differently.”
Five of India’s top-seven reached double figures but no one reached 30 while the regular clatter of wickets undermined their hopes of setting a decent total as the chasing side won once again in Dubai.
Left-arm seamer Trent Boult was magnificent in taking three for 20 while leg-spinner Ish Sodhi claimed the wickets of instrumental India pair Rohit Sharma and Kohli as India lurched to 48 for four.
They only got to three figures in the final over, courtesy of some lusty blows from Ravindra Jadeja, who top-scored for India with 26 off 19 deliveries, but their total was never likely to be enough.
So it proved as New Zealand reached their target after 14.3 overs despite Jasprit Bumrah claiming two for 19 from his four-over quota, with the paceman reflecting afterwards that India’s players might be mentally fatigued.
India have had a bulging workload in recent months, starting with the World Test Championship final in June in England, where they also played a Test series before moving on to the conclusion of the Indian Premier League.
Many in the World Cup squad have had months away from their families, and complicating matters has been the necessity of being in controlled environments or more stringent bio-secure bubbles.
“Sometimes you need a break, you miss your family sometimes, you’ve been on the road for six months,” Bumrah said.
“All of that sometimes plays on the back of your mind but when you’re on the field you don’t think about all of those things, you don’t control a lot of things, how the scheduling goes or what tournament is played when.
“Staying in a bubble and away from your family for such a long period of time does play a role on the players’ minds but the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) also tried their best to make us feel comfortable.
“But this is the time we are living in right now, it’s a difficult time, there’s a pandemic going on.
“We try to adapt but sometimes bubble fatigue or mental fatigue creeps in and you’re doing the same thing again and again and again. It is the way it is, and you can’t control a lot of it here.”
