Unknown fact: Virat Kohli's altercation with a journalist during the 2015 World Cup prompted BCCI's involvement!

New Delhi: The 2015 ODI World Cup turned out to be a thrilling rollercoaster ride for Virat Kohli and the Indian team. The team was under immense pressure as they entered the tournament, following a disappointing performance in the tri-series in Australia and England. Adding to the pressure was the fact that they were also the defending champions. Despite the setbacks, they were determined to make a mark in the tournament and give their best on the field.

In the midst of the heightened emotions and pressures, India had started on a promising note with wins over Pakistan, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, but tensions flared ahead of their match against the West Indies in Perth when Virat Kohli found himself at the centre of a controversy after being accused of verbally abusing a journalist, leading to complaints against him to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC).

It put Kohli, who had already risen to become a full-time Test captain, in a spot of bother. The journalist who was involved in the scuffle claimed that Kohli picked him out from the dugout, pointed a finger and hurled abuse, without any kind of antecedent interaction. Kohli later tried to diffuse the issue, smiling and waving his hand through another journalist who said that it was a case of mistaken identity.

Reports suggested that Kohli had mistakenly identified the journalist as the author of an article in an English daily that referenced Anushka Sharma, whom he later married in 2017. This misunderstanding led to the heated exchange, adding to the tension during the World Cup campaign.

The BCCI was compelled to issue a statement after the journalist detailed the incident in an article. Although the media release did not directly mention Virat Kohli, the controversy had already stirred significant attention and further intensified the situation.

“The BCCI has been in touch with the Indian team management on this issue, and has advised that this kind of incident should not be repeated. The BCCI respects the role played by the media in covering and popularising the game of cricket, and acknowledges the support of the media, in its mission to administer and promote the game of cricket in India. The BCCI would like to request the concerned parties to move on, and focus on the Indian cricket team’s campaign in the ongoing World Cup,” the then BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur had said in the statement.

The board even reportedly instructed Virat Kohli to “maintain the dignity of the Indian team at all times, and avoid any such behaviour in the future.”