‘It’s sad’: Virat Kohli slammed over fresh act at MCG nets

Virat Kohli is showing all the signs of being a man under immense pressure, making a bizarre request to Indian journalists.

A senior cricket journalist has given an insight into the pressure Virat Kohli is feeling, describing the Indian great as “so tightly wound at the moment”.

Kohli came into this hugely anticipated series against Australia under extreme pressure, having endured 19 innings prior to the first Test in Perth without a century.

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The 36-year-old’s average had plummeted over the last 12 months and he fell out of the ICC’s top 20 batting rankings for the first time in a decade following last month’s shock 3-0 home Test defeat to New Zealand.

“King” Kohli snapped that ton drought in Perth, but has still been acting like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders Down Under.

Virat Kohli’s Perth ton has proven a false dawn to date. (Photo by SAEED KHAN / AFP)

Fined and given a one-point demerit for his shoulder bump on Sam Konstas on day one in Melbourne, he has faced plenty of heat from the home crowd ever since.

Involved in a run-out with Yashasvi Jaiswal on day two, he also had an angry interaction with a section of the fans following his dismissal a short time later.

Kohli was even involved in an angry exchange with reporters at Melbourne Airport before the Test match began over a misunderstanding about his familyu.

Now, senior Newscorp sports journalist Robert Craddock has divulged another story that demonstrates the veteran is feeling the heat.

“He’s just so tightly wound at the moment,” Craddock said on Fox Cricket during Saturday’s lunch break. “We see it often with older players.

“Look a small incident but one that was so revealing to me, Indian journalists watching the nets were given instructions to be quiet, don’t talk behind the nets while Kohli’s batting.

Watch Robert Craddock’s comments in the video player above

Kohli made an unusual request while batting in the MCG nets. (Photo by William WEST / AFP)

“Now, I’ve never seen that from a player ever because they accept that noise is part of the whole environment.

“So that said to me that once again, that older player, who’s angry at everything and snatching at it a bit.

“It’s sad because this will be his last tour of Australia.”

Some of the Fox Cricket commentators also discussed Kohli’s demeanour and his current mindset during this Boxing Day Test.

“He’s played such a vast amount of cricket … but he’s really got the microscope on him at the moment,” Australian great Adam Gilchrist said on Saturday.

It’s coming from all angles. The crowd are giving him a huge serve, he probably feels the media are giving him a huge serve as well.

“When he got out yesterday he had a little reaction with someone in the crowd when he walked off.

Kohli’s conduct is being heavily scrutinised. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

“It’s hard to know what’s going on in his mind, but he’s still being challenged by all the aspects of being in the spotlight.”

Fellow commentator Isa Guha believes he knows the end of his career is fast approaching.

“It gives you an indication of his mental state at the moment,” Guha said. “The Virat Kohli of 2014 would’ve thrived off this.

“He’s coming to the end of his career, he’s had a period of being quite mellow. Yes he made a mistake on day one (with Konstas), the media are on him.

“It’s a sign of where his mental state is at that he’s getting frustrated by all these things around him.”

On Friday, footage was captured by a fan and later uploaded to X showing Kohli walking down the tunnel and towards the dressing room after he was booed off after being dismissed by Scott Boland for 36.

Kohli then turned around and appeared to stare at a section of the fans before an ICC official helped move him back down the tunnel.

A huge crowd watches Kohli in the Melbourne nets. (Photo by William WEST / AFP)

While booing is commonplace across the sporting world when a home crowd has an opponent in its sights, Indian great Sunil Gavaskar felt the treatment of Kohli had crossed the line.

“Yeah, I thought that was really uncalled for,” Gavaskar said on Channel 7.

“Like you said, he has been a great player and, look, he is out now and for you to boo him, the question that I always ask is – what have you done in your own life that you feel that you have the authority to boo an achiever like that?

“Have you achieved something in your own life that you can look down upon someone like Kohli?

“I don’t think that should be the case. That should never, ever have been a situation that Kohli should have been booed.

“Even when he came out to bat, I can understand a little bit of fun element, but this was completely uncalled for.”

Kohli was earlier fined 20 per cent of his match fees and docked one demerit point for the incident with Konstas.

Originally published as ‘It’s sad’: Virat Kohli slammed over fresh act at MCG nets