Virat Kohli was left visibly unhappy during India’s second ODI against New Zealand in Wellington after young fans threw plastic bats onto the field in the hope of getting his autograph, in an incident captured on video that has since gone viral.
The episode took place while India were fielding, with Kohli stationed close to the boundary rope. A fan tossed a small plastic bat onto the playing area, seemingly hoping the former India captain would sign it. Kohli picked the bat up and threw it back out of the playing area, gesturing towards the crowd to signal his disapproval and warning the youngsters against repeating the act.
A video of the moment, posted on social media during the match on Saturday, spread rapidly, with fans online criticising the behaviour and pointing out the safety risk of objects being thrown onto the field while play is in progress. Kohli, while clearly displeased, kept his composure through the exchange and calmly cautioned the fans rather than letting the incident escalate.
The moment was a reminder of the frenzy that follows Kohli wherever he plays. Earlier in the week, New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy had spoken about the attention the Indian star attracts, saying the Indian players — and Kohli in particular — are patient with fans and appreciative of their support, even when the scrutiny becomes relentless. Saturday’s incident showed the other side of that adulation, when enthusiasm crossed the line into the playing area.
On the field, the day belonged to India’s young pace attack. New Zealand were bowled out for 134, with Daryl Mitchell’s 55 the only half-century, as Gurnoor Brar claimed career-best figures of four for 30 — the second-best figures by an Indian pace bowler in New Zealand, after Javagal Srinath’s four for 23 at Auckland in 2003 — and Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj took two wickets each. India were 113 for seven in 26 overs in reply, with KL Rahul unbeaten on 26, when rain ended the match with the hosts five runs ahead of the DLS par score of 109, handing India a four-run win and a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Kohli himself made only seven in the chase, but the innings still carried a milestone — he moved past Ricky Ponting’s tally of 1,971 ODI runs against New Zealand and now has 1,978 runs against the Black Caps. The third ODI takes place in Hamilton on Tuesday, where India will look to seal the series with two matches to spare.
Related: India Edge New Zealand by Four Runs on DLS After Rain Ends Wellington ODI — https://t20star.com/india-edge-new-zealand-by-four-runs-on-dls-after-rain-ends-wellington-odi/
Related: Eleven and Counting: New Zealand Set Unwanted Calendar-Year Record After Wellington Defeat to India — https://t20star.com/eleven-and-counting-new-zealand-set-unwanted-calendar-year-record-after-wellington-defeat-to-india/
