The waves of trouble seem to be coming time and again towards Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli, despite his repeated attempts to make things right.
The star batter is already facing widespread criticism due to his repeated dismissals while trying to play deliveries well outside the off stump.
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The poor performance of Virat and Rohit in the BGT has played a significant part in bringing the Indian team to this state in the series.
This repeated lack of contribution has even led to skipper Rohit Sharma ‘opting out’ of the last test, giving the captaincy to Jasprit Bumrah.
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Kohli’s poor form seems to have shifted his PR team into hyperactive mode, with extensive social media campaigns glorifying the cricketer as a larger-than-life irreplaceable player in the Indian team.
This was also evident from the last delivery of the day at the SCG. Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Australian opener Usman Khawaja, with a brilliant catching effort from KL Rahul at the 3rd slip.
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However, the cameras, rather than focusing on Bumrah or Rahul, focussed on Kohli, who went on to do his trademark aggressive celebration.
This made Bumrah’s death-cold stare into Konstas’ eyes go unnoticed at the moment, leading to disappointment among many cricket fans.
Fans are now criticizing Kohli’s brutal PR machinery for deliberately shifting the focus to Kohli, even though he had no contribution in getting Khawaja out.
One social media user said, “Bumrah bowls a beauty, Rahul takes a clean catch, but the cameras are obsessed with Kohli jumping around. Why even call it cricket coverage? Just call it Kohli-TV!”
Another emphasized the importance of team spirit as he commented, “It’s frustrating to watch Star Sports focus more on Kohli’s celebrations than on the brilliance of Bumrah’s bowling. Cricket isn’t about just one player.”
Virat’s PR team needs to realise that there is only so much damage control one can do without actually performing with the bat. As long as Kohli remains out of form, any attempt at whitewashing will only backfire, hurting his own legacy further.
