Indian captain Virat Kohli labelled ‘world’s worst-behaved player’ by Bollywood star as tourists feel heat

As Indian skipper Virat Kohli and his coach feel the heat from two high-profile stars back home, broadcasters are revelling in the amped-up verbal stoush this summer.

India's captain Virat Kohli is under pressure. Pic: AFP

One of the biggest stars in Bollywood has labelled Virat Kohli the “world’s worst behaved player” as broadcasters resolve to keep the stump mics cranked up and the spotlight hot this summer.

Indian management denied unrest in their camp after Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja were caught in an explosive slanging match on stump mic audio during the Perth Test.

Kohli is one of the most enthralling personality players in world sport and his every move out in the middle is being followed with interest by broadcasters Fox Cricket and Channel 7 who are making no apologies for their decision to give viewers a revolutionary pitch-side seat.

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The Australian side were less than impressed at some of Kohli’s antics during the Test and the world’s best batsman has also come under fire from one of India’s highest-profile fans.

Bollywood film actor Naseeruddin Shah has started an internet storm in India by posting on Facebook a frank assessment of Kohli’s standing as a cricketer after his combative approach was beamed out frame by frame to the world in Perth.

“Virat Kohli is not only the world’s best batsman but also the world’s worst behaved player,” wrote Shah.

“Kohli’s cricketing brilliance pales beside his arrogance and bad manners … And I have no intention of leaving the country by the way.”

Telling footage of the teams shaking hands post-match shows Kohli refuse to acknowledge counterpart Tim Paine with eye contact as he stared straight past him.

Indian captain Virat Kohli has come in for criticism. Pic: AAP

Kohli shakes hands with Aussie captain Tim Paine after the second Test. Pic: AFP

The most powerful man in cricket is also under the pump from Indian Test great Sunil Gavaskar who says Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri should be held to account for “selection blunders” if India fail to win the series.

Channel 7 released a statement on behalf of the BCCI after the network broadcast footage of the Sharma and Jadeja spat.

“With relation to vision aired on our coverage … Indian team management have … told 7Cricket that the incident between Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja happened at the spur of the moment and management confirms that all is well between the two,” said the statement on 7’s twitter handle.

Seven had originally pledged earlier in the year that they would keep stump mics down this summer but changed their mind after Fox Cricket had been vocal in declaring that fans deserved the unprecedented access to the heat of the battle.

During the first Test Fox Cricket turned the mics up for an entire over of vocal wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant standing up to the stumps and the clip of his sledging of batsman Pat Cummins went viral.

In Perth, Paine’s sledge to Murali Vijay about whether Kohli was a good bloke also became an internet sensation.

Fox Cricket say the reaction from fans has been overwhelming and praised the commitment of the Australian and Indian teams.

“Fox applaud both Australia and India for the way in which they have embraced the use of stump mics and our innovations so far this series,” said a spokesman.

The stump mics have been a hit with viewers.

“At Fox we strive to innovate and deliver world class broadcasts for our subscribers.”

India’s decision to play Umesh Yadav as one of four quicks with no recognised spinner in Perth may have ultimately cost them the match.

The unbalanced line-up left them a key bowler short and also made for the longest of tails where at six-wickets down the last recognised batsman was forced to try and farm the strike.

Gavaskar said Kohli and Shastri had to be held to account.

“We have been seeing this — the selection blunders that have been committed since the tour of South Africa. It has cost the team because it has lost matches which could’ve been won if the proper selection had been made,” Gavaskar told Aaj Tak.

“… (if they don’t address problems) against this Australian team which does not have Steve Smith or David Warner, then the selectors need to think whether we are getting any benefit from this lot — the captain, coach and support staff.”