Updated June 10th, 2019 at 09:00 IST

WATCH ‘Greatest cricketer ever’: Virat Kohli’s heartwarming gesture for Steven Smith is winning the Internet

For those who’s watched a cricket match in the stadium, the emotions often run really high and the crowd regularly gets charged up. WATCH ‘Greatest cricketer ever’: Virat Kohli’s heartwarming gesture for Steven Smith is winning the Internet.

Reported by: Joel Kurian
| Image:self
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For those who’s watched a cricket match in the stadium, the emotions often run really high and the crowd regularly gets charged up. Fans also try to unsettle the opposition by booing the players and even abusing them. Who can forget Virat Kohli’s show of his middle finger to the crowd that got on to his nerves in Sydney in 2012? However, the captain didn’t want the Indians fans to do the same against Australian player Steven Smith and asked them not to subject him to ‘cheater’ jibe and boos during the match. 

Here's the video that won hearts and Captain Virat Kohli was applauded for his sportsman spirit. 

READ: World Cup 2019: Indian Fan Holds Up 'Balidaan' Badge Poster As MS Dhoni Sports His Green Gloves Sans The Insignia In Sunday's Match Against Australia

Netizens were in praise of the Indian captain after the video started doing the rounds on social media. An Australia journalist, who was in the stands, was one of the persons who wrote about the ‘most hideous boos’ for Smith when he was sent to the boundary. Kohli then reportedly turned to the stands and asked them to instead clap for him. 

 Even Royal Challengers Bangalore, the team Kohli captains in the Indian Premier League, replied to the post and termed him as a ‘True captain.’'  

READ: Cross-border Cricket Love: Virat Fan Spotted In Pakistan's Lahore, As India Faces Australia In Its Second World Cup Match

Netizens raved  about the captain's gesture, terming him 'bestest and greatest cricketer', 'incredible gesture', 'champion act' and what 'great sportsmen are made of.'

Smith and David Warner, recently to the Australian side, after they were banned for a year for the ball-tampering scandal against South Africa in March 2018.

Both Kohli and Smith also scored fifties in the match, the Indian hitting 82 and the Australian was at 56 not out at the time of publishing the story. Australia needed 151 from 13.4 overs, chasing the target of 353 set by India, courtesy Shikhar Dhawan's blistering 117.

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Published June 9th, 2019 at 21:21 IST

Virat Kohli