Australian media has once again launched a scathing attack against star batter Virat Kohli. Australian journalist, Channel Nine's Tony Jones called Kohli a "bully" for his altercation with a female reporter Nat Yoannidis at the Melbourne airport when he asked them not to record his family.
Kohli has often urged Indian paparazzi to not click photos of his son and daughter. However, Australian media don't subscribe to this and went on to record his children anyway. When Kohli confronted the reporters and camerapersons, it led to a controversy. The 36-year-old asked the reporter to delete the footage involving his family and keep the ones where it is only him.
“Nat was out there with a cameraman, a Channel 7 reporter was out there with his cameraman and they were doing what we do on a daily basis essentially, and that’s be at the airport to actually get identities, whether they’re politicians, whether they’re sporting identities or whatever,” Jones said.
“He took umbrage, he being Virat Kohli, to the fact the cameras were focused on him.
“Well duh! You’re a batting superstar, you’re a global superstar in the world of cricket, and he takes umbrage to the fact that the attention is focused on him.
“What really got my back up when I saw the footage was that he turned around to the three blokes, the two cameramen and the reporter from Channel 7, and said you guys are OK, it’s her.
“Really? Big tough man, Virat.
“And then he stood over this girl, Nat Yoannidis, who’s about five foot one, five foot two, and just absolutely berated her.
“You’re nothing but a bully, Virat.”
Kohli's record at MCG
Kohli has played three Tests and scored 316 runs from six innings at an average of 52.66. He has one century and two fifties at the venue as well. His knock of 169 at the MCG came in 2014. The Test ended in a draw. Interestingly, Australia have not beaten India at the MCG since 2011. After the draw in 2014, India have beaten the hosts twice in Melbourne.
