2 weeks Ago
Ex-cricketers and fans criticized Virat Kohli's animated celebrations after RCB's win over PBKS, accusing BCCI of double standards. Kohli scored 73* off 54 balls. Former cricketers and fans took an objection to Virat Kohli’s animated celebrations on Shreyas Iyer’s face after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) by seven wickets on Sunday (April 20).
Some called out the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for their ‘double standards’ in not acting against the former India batter despite reprimanding youngsters like Digvesh Rathee for his ‘notebook’ celebration. Kohli remained unbeaten at 73 off 54 balls as RCB chased down 158 in Chandigarh. As soon as the winning shot was hit, Kohli crouched and shouted while facing Shreyas, who was standing at point.
The PBKS skipper walked at him calmly and engaged in a conversation, which didn’t seem too harmful from the live pictures, but offended many observers, who took to the social media platform Twitter (now X) to express their frustration. Check the top reactions here: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) spinner Rathee has been reprimanded twice this season. In his second match of the season against Punjab Kings (PBKS) he went shoulder-to-shoulder with Delhi made Priyansh Arya to do his ‘strike-the-name-off-from-the-notebook’ gesture and was given one demerit point and a fine.
He tweaked that celebration the next time and made the gesture while not going close to the batters but was still reprimanded and given another demerit point and a hefty fine. The spinner has now changed it further, choosing to celebrate with a gesture of striking the name on the pitch. Last year, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Harshit Rana was punished twice for his celebrations and handed a one-match ban on the third ocassion.
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