IND vs AUS 2022: 5 times Virat Kohli’s on-field antics went viral

Team India batter Virat Kohli went into the first T20I against Australia in Mohali high on confidence. In Men in Blue’s previous match, the Super 4 game against Afghanistan in Dubai, he had smashed a brilliant 122*, his first hundred in over 1000 days. However, he failed to impress with the willow in Mohali.

Kohli managed only two off seven balls and was dismissed by Nathan Ellis. He attempted to flick the Aussie pacer, but only managed to give a simple catch to mid-on. The 33-year-old, however, grabbed the limelight during the match for a completely different reason.

Australian opener Cameron Green launched a brutal assault on the Indian bowlers. As Green went berserk, Kohli was captured with a completely stunned expression that went viral and soon became the subject of memes.

This is not the first time his on-field antics have gone viral. Here's a look at five such previous instances.

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#1 When Kohli mimicked Allu Arjun's famous hand gesture from Pushpa

Virat Kohli doing the hand gesture from Pushpa. Pic: BCCI

Earlier this year, South Superstar Allu Arjun’s hand gesture from his blockbuster movie “Pushpa” became quite a rage. From showbiz celebrities to sportspeople and the common man, almost everyone jumped on the bandwagon. How could Kohli have been far behind?

During Day 3 of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Mohali in March, the former Indian captain mimicked Arjun's gesture of using the back of the hand to rub his chin. In no time, the incident went viral on social media.

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#2 When the King bowed to SKY

Kohli is often referred to as the king of cricket. But he has no hesitation in appreciating teammates wholeheartedly when they do well. During the Asia Cup 2022 Super 4 match against Hong Kong last month, the star batter bowed to Suryakumar Yadav after the latter played an excellent innings.

SKY smashed an unbeaten 68 off only 26 balls. As he began his walk back after the end of his innings, Kohli bowed in front of him, leaving the batter stunned. Speaking after the game, Suryakumar described the senior cricketer’s gesture as a “heartwarming” one. Kohli, himself, contributed an unbeaten 59 in the match.

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#3 How Kohli’s "keep quiet" gesture backfired

Kohli is known for being a feisty personality on the cricket field. He doesn’t mind getting involved in a banter or two with the opposition. But sometimes he takes it a bit too far. One such incident took place during Day 3 of the rescheduled Test against England in Birmingham earlier this year.

The Indian fielder was involved in an animated chat with Jonny Bairstow and even asked him to "keep quiet", placing a finger on his lips while gesturing towards the batter.

Kohli’s attempted boomeranged miserably. A fired-up Bairstow went on to slam hundreds in both innings as England came from behind to defeat India by seven wickets.

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#4 His failed attempt to balance his bat like Root

During England’s first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, Joe Root made his bat stand on this own for a few seconds while at the non-striker’s end. The clip of the same went viral on social media, with cricket fans terming him a magician and a sorcerer.

When India toured England, Kohli attempted to imitate Root's stunt during a practice match against Leicestershire. While at the non-striker’s, he attempted to make his bat stand on its own twice, but could not succeed in doing so. Kohli being Kohli, though, even his failed attempt went viral on social media platforms.

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#5 When Kohli did 1, 2 ka 4!

It is no secret that, apart from batting, Kohli loves dancing as well. Just a few days back, a video of him grooving with teammate and all-rounder Hardik Pandya on a famous Instagram reel song went viral. Kohli has been captured dancing on the cricket field as well.

The T20 World Cup in the UAE last year was a disaster for Team India. However, Kohli, who led the team in that ICC event, gave the Men in Blue fans something to cheer about.

While India were fielding the match against Afghanistan, the famous Bollywood number “My Name is Lakhan” was playing in the stadium. Out of nowhere, Kohli performed a step from the song and the crowd went absolutely berserk, cheering and rooting for the superstar of Indian cricket.

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