The former Indian captain, Virat Kohli, was addressed as a bully by the Australian reporter for his recent argument with the female Australian journalist ahead of the fourth Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The incident took place on Thursday (December 19) at the Melbourne airport.
Virat Kohli was with his wife, Anushka Sharma, and their children when a journalist and media person the Channel 7 clicked a few pictures and made videos of their family. The veteran has already urged the Indian journalists back home many times to avoid getting the pictures, but that rule doesn’t take place in Australia, where celebrities are allowed to be filmed and photographed without any restrictions.
The 36-year-old was quite upset with the entire situation and then approached the reporter before urging her to delete the images and videos that were taken of his family.
The matter didn’t move further. Nine Sports reporter Tony Jones showed no mercy for Virat Kohli in his attack as he labeled the number four batter of the side as a ‘bully’ and slammed him for berating the Channel 7 reporter at the Melbourne airport.
“Nat was out there with a cameraman, a Channel 7 reporter was out there with his cameraman, and they were doing what we do daily essentially, and that’s at the airport to get identities, whether they’re politicians, whether they’re sporting identities or whatever.” Jones expressed.
“He took umbrage, he being Virat Kohli, to the fact the cameras were focused on him. Well duh! You’re a batting superstar, you’re a global superstar in the world of cricket, and he takes umbrage to the fact that the attention is focused on him.” Tony shaded light.
“Big tough man, Virat Kohli!!”- Australian reporter bullies former Indian captain
The Delhi-born came into the series on the back of his struggling form in the longest format with 93 runs in six innings at an average of 15.50 with the help of just one half-century against New Zealand that came during the opening Test at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
In the Perth Test of the series, the right-handed batter celebrated his 30th Test century, his third in the five-day format in the last five years, before again finding the decline in the batting touch with 21 runs in the next three innings.
Virat Kohli started the BGT 2024-25 with an average of over 54 down under, but after his five innings where he collected 126 runs, the average has dropped down to around 50, which has created a little bit of pressure on the veteran, who probably is making his final trip to Australia in the Test format.
“What got my back up when I saw the footage was that Virat Kohli turned around to the three blokes, the two cameramen, and the reporter from Channel 7, and said you guys are OK, it’s her.” Jones narrated.
“Really? Big tough man, Virat. And then he stood over this girl, Nat Yoannidis, who’s about five foot one, five foot two, and just absolutely berated her. You’re nothing but a bully, Virat.” He concluded the entire incident in his view.
The significance of the fourth Test match will be massive for the series as one of the teams would be eager to take the upper hand before the fifth and final fixture at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), which could be affected by the rain.