Virat Kohli is a fierce competitor on the field and it is not news to any of his adversaries as it is a very well-documented facet of the Indian batting maestro.
However, there is a lesser-known side to the Delhi-born which often gets eclipsed by his aggressive self on the field of play – a sportsperson of the highest order. He is someone who empathises with his opponents even in their darkest hours and the same was on exhibition at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday, October 11.
While navigating India’s run chase in the middle on his home turf and in front of his home crowd that backed him throughout the game, Kohli’s heartfelt move glistened as brightly as any other milestone at the venue did.
In a heartwarming gesture, Virat urged the spectators assembled at the historic venue to abstain from booing the Afghanistan pacer Naveen ul Haq during his stay in the middle.
Irked by the constant booing of Naveen, Virat gestured for the crowd to stop jeering the 24-year-old and be a sport.
Significantly, it is not the first time the right-handed batter has thrown his weight behind an opposition player. The former India captain had also urged an Indian crowd to stop mocking Australia’s Steve Smith during India’s clash against Australia during the 2019 World Cup at The Oval in London.
A section of the Indian crowd was constantly targeting Steve Smith (while the Australian was trying to focus in the field) over his involvement in the ball-tampering episode that unfolded during Australia’s tour of South Africa in 2018.
The 2019 edition of the World Cup was one of the first few events that witnessed Smith’s return to the international stage after serving a year-long ban. Virat’s gesture not only put an end to the booing, it also brought a smile to Smith’s face as the two shared a light-hearted moment afterwards.