Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has never been one to mince his words. Recently, he launched a scathing attack on Virat Kohli, the talismanic captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), after Kohli’s fiery rant against critics who questioned his strike rate.
Sunil Gavaskar’s Response To Virat Kohli
Kohli, in an interview ahead of an IPL 2024 match, had defended his strike rate, claiming that he didn’t care about “outside noise.” However, Gavaskar was quick to respond. He questioned Kohli’s approach, saying, “All these guys talk about, ‘oh we don’t care about outside noise.’ Accha! Then why are you replying to any outside noise or whatever it is? We all played a bit of cricket, not a lot of cricket.
We don’t have agendas. We speak about what we see. We don’t necessarily have any likes and dislikes. Even if we have likes and dislikes, we actually speak on what is happening.”
Angry Sunil Gavaskar hits back at Virat Kohli 👀😳#SunilGavaskar #IPL2024 #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/C7AaFUQaw4
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) May 5, 2024
The Strike Rate Debate
Gavaskar’s criticism centered around Kohli’s strike rate, which had been a topic of discussion among commentators. Kohli’s strike rate of 118, especially when he got out in the 14th or 15th over, raised eyebrows. Gavaskar emphasized that applause for such a strike rate was different when opening the innings.
Sunil Gavaskar He also took a dig at Star Sports, the broadcaster, for repeatedly airing Kohli’s rant. “I hope Star Sports realizes that when that clip is shown, questioning the critics, the critics are your own commentators. For you to show the person belittling your own commentators, I’m not sure that’s a great thing,” Gavaskar asserted.
Gavaskar’s message to Kohli was clear: If you claim not to care about outside noise, then don’t engage in it. The Little Master’s no-nonsense approach resonated with fans and fellow cricketers alike. As the IPL 2024 season unfolds, Kohli will need to focus on his performance rather than getting caught up in controversies.
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