Virat Kohli and Australian journalist Nate Ioannidis were involved in a heated argument at the Melbourne airport.
Following the incident, the Australian media has labelled Virat Kohli as a “bully” and a “bully,” further escalating the media tension between the two countries.
Controversy at the airport and the reaction of the media
On Saturday morning, when Virat Kohli arrived at the Melbourne airport with his family, the camera crew present there started shooting his video. Citing his privacy, Kohli told the media not to film him or his children without asking.
But the incident caught fire when Channel Nine reporter Tony Jones launched a scathing attack on Virat Kohli. Jones said that Kohli behaved inappropriately with his colleague Nate Vounidis, who is quite short in stature.
Tony Jones directly called Virat Kohli a “bully” and strongly criticised his behaviour.
According to media reports, Virat Kohli also scolded the reporter of Channel 7, although both channels have made it clear that they did not make any film of Kohli’s children. Tony Jones says his reporters were just doing their job, which they do every day. “Virat Kohli being a global superstar should not have behaved in this manner.
Team India in a huddle ahead of Boxing Day Test
The controversy comes at a time when the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is tied 1-1 between India and Australia. The controversy has become a major challenge for Team India ahead of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Meanwhile, another controversy erupted when Ravindra Jadeja responded only in Hindi at the press conference, which angered the Australian journalists. The press conference ended in just 9 minutes, which has further increased the tension between the media of the two countries.
This incident of Virat Kohli has once again fuelled the old debate between Indian cricket and Australian media. However, many cricket experts believe that such a controversy could have been avoided. Virat Kohli’s role will be crucial in the Boxing Day Test, and it will be interesting to see if this controversy affects his and the team’s performance.
At the moment, both teams are preparing for the match starting on December 26, where they will try to take the lead in the series.
