NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli is renowned for his dynamic and passionate engagement with the crowd, which has become an integral part of his persona both on and off the field.
The former Indian captain often teases the crowd during matches, adding an element of entertainment to the game. His ability to interact and sometimes lightheartedly provoke the fans has made him a crowd favorite.
Kohli is famous for his “finger on the lips” gesture to silence rival fans after performing well, such as hitting a crucial boundary or taking a big wicket. This cheeky response often intensifies the crowd’s energy.
With Australia chasing a 162-run target against India on Day 3 of the fifth Test in Sydney on Sunday, Prasidh Krishna gave a ray of hope with a three-wicket burst in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.
Krishna dismissed Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith before lunch to reduce Australia to 58/3.
Steve Smith fell one run short of 10,000 Test runs landmark and it was after his dismissal that charged up Virat Kohli.
All riled up, Kohli was seen engaging with the crowd and imitating some of the incidents from the sandpaper scandal in South Africa. The crowd loved it too and continued their cheers and jeers.
Cricket Australia shared a clip of the video on X:
The Steve Smith sandpaper scandal, often referred to as the “Sandpapergate”, was one of the most infamous episodes in modern cricket history. It occurred during Australia’s tour of South Africa in March 2018 during the third Test match in Cape Town.
During the match, Cameron Bancroft, an Australian player, was caught on camera using a piece of sandpaper to tamper with the cricket ball in an attempt to alter its condition and gain reverse swing for the bowlers. The footage showed Bancroft rubbing the ball with sandpaper and then attempting to hide it in his trousers when he realized he was being filmed by the cameras.
Steve Smith, then the captain of the Australian team, admitted in a press conference that the leadership group had devised the plan to tamper with the ball.
Smith confessed to being aware of the plan but did not intervene to stop it, acknowledging his failure as a leader and was banned from international and domestic cricket for 12 months and stripped of his captaincy.
Smith broke down in a tearful press conference, expressing remorse and taking full responsibility for his actions and the incident tarnished Smith’s image, despite his status as one of the greatest batsmen of his generation.
