Aakash Chopra has slammed former India captain Virat Kohli for his on-field antics that did not lead to his ban.
Aakash Chopra took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his opinion on Virat Kohli’s on-field behavior. The 38-year-old penned this tweet in the context of the IPL authorities scrapping match fees by 100% and handing out a one-match ban to KKR pacer Harshit Rana. The Delhi-based cricketer admitted the Level 1 violation and will therefore miss Kolkata’s next game against Mumbai.
Did Aakash Chopra take a cryptic dig at Virat Kohli?
Earlier today, Aakash Chopra had first asked his followers on his X about the true nature of Harshit Rana’s offense that led to his ban. After getting a few replies, Chopra finally took a cryptic dig at Virat Kohli, referring to aggressive behavior on the field.
A fan had written that Harshit Rana’s gestures during the match against Delhi Capitals were not acceptable at all and his aggression could have an impact on his career. Rana belongs to Delhi, a state known for its flamboyant, sometimes exaggerated and aggressive cricketers.
Replying to the fan’s comment, Aakash Chopra hinted that he was taking a dig at Harshit Rana’s senior statesman Virat Kohli, who is also known for giving farewells. Chopra claimed that if Rana’s dismissal of Abhishek Porel was offensive, then he knew a very well-known cricketer who would get a ban in every other match.
In fact, in this IPL season, Virat Kohli had appeared in animated mode during RCB’s clash against KKR earlier this season after he was sent off for a full-toss delivery. Kohli felt it was a no-ball but after the third umpire’s decision, the former RCB captain chirped a few words to the on-field umpires and left the field in disgust.
He was also seen hitting a dustbin on his way to the dressing room and this is what Aakash Chopra was referring to in his response.
If such a dismissal is enough for demerit points and amounts to a level 1 offence… I know a very popular cricketer who would be banned for every other game.
– Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 1, 2024
Aakash Chopra refrained from naming names but everyone knows which cricketer he is talking about. “If such a dismissal is enough for demerit points and amounts to a level 1 offence… I know a very popular cricketer who would be banned for every other game.” – Chopra replied.
What happened that Harshit Rana got banned for one match?
Two days ago, during Kolkata’s second leg against Delhi Capitals at the Eden Gardens, Harshit Rana came into the limelight for another infamous thing. After clearing DC batsman Abhishek Porel’s stumps, Rana almost celebrated the flying kiss he attempted against Mayank Agarwal and ended up having 60% of his match fees deducted.
Harshit Rana almost gave him another flying kiss before he went back and held back. This may be why Rana was charged 100% of his gaming fees and banned for one game.
“Mr Harshit Rana, Bowler, Kolkata Knight Riders, has been fined 100 percent of his match fees and suspended for one match for violating the IPL Code of Conduct during Match 47. Rana committed a Level 1 offense under Article 2.5 of the IPL Code of Conduct. He admitted the offense and accepted the match referee’s sanction. – Read the statement on IPLT20.com.
How did fans react to Aakash Chopra’s dig at Virat Kohli?
Fans under Aakash Chopra’s tweet have rallied with hilarious comments. But the common thread in these answers was that everyone knew who Chopra was targeting. Here are a few reactions:
We know who you’re talking about pic.twitter.com/QWR3E3jk5q
— Pandu Raju (@CSKianPaanduRaj) May 1, 2024
Just a picture of Virat looking for this popular cricketer pic.twitter.com/hTd2f5nheC
—` (@bdrijalab) May 1, 2024
Directly take the name Bhai Virat Ka. Why are you staying here?
– Raghav Masoom (@comedibanda) May 1, 2024