'They say we don't care about outside noise. Then why are you replying?': Gavaskar schools Kohli

Former Indian cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar has lashed out at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) icon Virat Kohli for his apparent contradiction in handling criticism. Gavaskar's scathing remarks came in response to Kohli's reaction to commentators' assessments of his performance, despite Kohli's earlier assertions that he pays no heed to outside opinions.

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Sunil Gavaskar slams Virat Kohli

During the second leg of the IPL 2024 clash between RCB and Gujarat Titans (GT), Sunil Gavaskar expressed his frustration on air over Virat Kohli's response to criticism regarding his strike rate. Kohli, known for his fiery competitiveness, had faced scrutiny over his batting approach, particularly his strike rate, which commentators highlighted multiple times during the IPL 2024.

Sunil Gavaskar's criticism was particularly pointed at Virat Kohli's reaction to the commentators' remarks. "Commentators questioned only when the strike rate was 118. I'm not too sure. I don't watch too many matches, so I don't know what the other commentators have said otherwise. But if you have a strike of 118 and then you get out in the 14th or the 15th with a strike-rate of 118, I mean, if you want applause for that, that's a little bit different. That's different," Gavaskar said while questioning Kohli's response.

Gavaskar further admonished Kohli for his perceived hypocrisy, pointing out the contradiction between Kohli's statements about ignoring outside noise and his subsequent reaction to criticism. "All these guys talk about, oh we don't care about outside noise. Then why are you replying to any outside noise or whatever it is. We all played a bit of cricket, not a lot of cricket. We don't have agendas. We speak about what we see. We don't necessarily have any likes and dislikes. Even if we have likes and dislikes, we actually speak on what is happening," Gavaskar added.

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Virat Kohli is currently among the top run-scorers in IPL 2024 with 500 runs in 10 innings. Kohli has been scoring at a strike rate of 147.49. The veteran India batter has been named in India's 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2024. Kohli is expected to bat at the number three position in the team.