Virat Kohli has been the poster boy of Indian cricket for more than a decade now. The Indian skipper has established himself as one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era. Kohli has scored 22937 runs in international cricket and has also plundered 70 hundreds as well.

Apart from his batting prowess, Kohli has also grabbed the limelight for his behaviour on and off the field as well. Kohli is a cricketer who wears his heart on his sleeve and does not hesitate to have a go at the opposition players.

And, through the course of his illustrious career, there have been several occasions when Kohli has grabbed the limelight and courted controversy. In this article, let us take a look at the top 10 controversies of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/chef-recalls-crazy-48-hours-at-his-restaurant-after-anushka-sharma-virat-kohli-and-other-indian-cricketers-visit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli’s</a> career.

10. Mitchell Johnson and Virat Kohli have a go at each other

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-414915" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-and-Mitchell-Johnson.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli and Mitchell Johnson" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-414915" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli and Mitchell Johnson. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

When India toured Australia in 2014, the hopes of the Indian cricket fans hinged on Virat Kohli. Kohli was touted as the successor to <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/there-was-no-fear-to-bowl-to-sachin-tendulkar-as-he-couldnt-hurt-me-like-sehwag-muttiah-muralitharan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sachin Tendulkar</a>, and fans expected the Indian batting talisman to step up against the Aussies. Kohli had experienced a poor outing in England earlier in the year and was itching to prove his naysayers wrong when he stepped onto the field in the land of the kangaroos.

The master batsman scored 4 centuries in that series and was in top form with the willow. But then, apart from his prowess with the willow, Kohli’s altercations with Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson in the third Test match at Melbourne also grabbed the limelight. The Australian pacer had hit Kohli hard with a throw off his own bowling, and the Indian captain was clearly not impressed with it.

Johnson then bowled a delivery outside off stump, the Indian batsman went hard at it, the ball took the outside edge and flew past slip. And, after the boundary, both Johnson and Kohli were seen having a go at each other. Kohli then proceeded to smash Johnson. Whenever the left-arm pacer bowled short, Kohli took him to the cleaners. He then played a gorgeous cover drive off Johnson, and the war of words between the two continued.

Johnson finally dismissed Kohli for a masterly 169. This face-off with Johnson was evidence of the fact that Kohli is a fighter, and will not get bogged down when someone takes the fight to him.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-414927" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-and-Tim-Paine.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli and Tim Paine" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-414927" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli and Tim Paine. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

During India’s tour to Australia in the year 2018-19, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/eng-vs-ind-mohammed-siraj-and-virat-kohli-point-towards-head-as-anderson-walks-out-to-bat-in-2nd-innings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kohli</a> had a run-in with another Australian player, Tim Paine. Paine was the Australian skipper at that time, and both Kohli and Paine were at each other’s throats throughout the series.

Paine stated that Kohli had given sendoffs to a few Australian players and he wanted to stand up for his players and show Kohli that the Australian players were in for a fight as well.

“He had given send-offs to a few of our players. I sort of just had enough and thought you also have to stand up for yourself and your teammates and that was one of the reasons I thought, ‘no, I’m the captain, it’s my turn, I have to stand up and show him we’re here for the fight’,” said Paine as quoted in the documentary ‘The Test’.

When Paine came out to bat in the second Test match, Kohli told the Aussie skipper that if Paine messed up with the willow, India would go 2-0 up in the series. “If he messes it up, it’s 2-0. Who’s gonna talk then?”, said Kohli to Paine on the field.

India created history in the land of the kangaroos in that series, beating Australia 2-1 in their own backyard, and won a series against Australia in Australia for the first time in history. Kohli scored 282 runs in the 7 innings that he played in the series, at an average in excess of 40.

8. Virat Kohli’s leave India comment to a fan

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-546675" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-speaking.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli speaking" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-546675" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli speaking. (Photo Source: ICC)</figcaption>

This incident courted a lot of controversy. A fan had stated that Virat Kohli is an overrated batsman, and he loved watching <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian</a> and England players batting, rather than the Indian players.

And, this comment did not go down well with Kohli. The Indian cricketing superstar asked the fan to leave the country and even asked him to get his priorities right.

&#8220;Okay, I don&#8217;t think you should live in India then… you should go and live somewhere else, no? Why are you living in our country and loving other countries? I don&#8217;t mind you not liking me but I don&#8217;t think you should live in our country and like other things. Get your priorities right,&#8221; said Kohli.

Several fans lashed out at Kohli for asking the fan to leave the country. People trolled the Indian cricketing superstar on social media, with some even stating that Kohli had gone abroad and married his wife Anushka Sharma, and liked Angelique Kerber, who is a ‘foreign’ tennis player.

7. Abusing James Anderson at Lord&#8217;s

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-544764" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/James-Anderson-and-Virat-Kohli.jpg" alt="James Anderson and Virat Kohli" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-544764" class="wp-caption-text">James Anderson and Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

This incident took place just a week back, during the second Test match between England and India at Lord’s. Indian skipper Virat Kohli allegedly sledged <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/this-is-cheating-james-anderson-to-jasprit-bumrah-after-facing-the-bouncer-barrage-at-lords/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Anderson</a> and was heard telling the England pacer that Lord’s was not Anderson’s f*****g backyard.

This incident did not go down well with fans and players as well. England pace bowling colossus Stuart Broad responded to Kohli’s comments on Anderson. Broad tweeted that Anderson’s record at Lord’s is proof that the Lord’s Cricket Ground is indeed close to being Anderson’s backyard. Broad even opined that the language that Kohli used might get him into trouble.

You can see Stuart Broad’s tweet below

The Lord’s honours board suggests it’s as close to Jimmy’s backyard as Jimmy’s actual backyard. Love the fire but that language will have him in trouble&mdash; Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) <a href="https://twitter.com/StuartBroad8/status/1426873559977283584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2021</a>

Virat Kohli scored a total of 62 runs in the second Test match in both innings put together. India produced a sensational performance and beat England by 151 runs in the second Test match.

6. Sunil Gavaskar’s comment on Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma during IPL 2020

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-549414" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-and-Sunil-Gavaskar.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli and Sunil Gavaskar" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-549414" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli and Sunil Gavaskar. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

The legendary <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/chetshwar-pujara-and-ajinkya-rahane-played-well-and-responded-well-to-the-criticism-sunil-gavaskar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunil Gavaskar</a> found himself in the spotlight after a comment on Virat Kohli during the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). On 24th September 2020, Kohli was dismissed for a score of just 1 run against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) side in an IPL match.

And, Sunil Gavaskar, who was on air at that time stated that during the lockdown that was induced by Covid-19 before the 13th season of the IPL, all that Kohli did was practice batting with Anushka Sharma bowling to him.

However, the Bollywood diva did not take it lightly. Stating that the year was 2020, Anushka lamented that she is still dragged into the picture for her husband’s performances.

“It’s 2020 and things still don’t change for me. When will I stop getting dragged into cricket and stop being used to pass sweeping statements?” stated Anushka Sharma.

This issue hogged a lot of limelight, and Gavaskar received some flak for his comments on the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-110355" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-and-Anil-Kumble.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble News" width="600" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-110355" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Virat Kohli was embroiled in yet another controversy with India’s former Head coach and cricket legend <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/fantastic-to-see-a-fast-bowler-get-up-there-anil-kumble-congratulates-james-anderson-for-breaching-his-test-record/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anil Kumble</a> in the year 2017. It was alleged that it was Kohli who played the major role and plotted the ouster of Anil Kumble.

It was even alleged that Kohli had sent emails to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he was not happy with Kumble. Kumble stepped down from his role as the Indian Head Coach, stating that his relationship with Kohli had become untenable.

“[The] captain had reservations with my &#8216;style&#8217; and about my continuing as the head coach. The partnership was untenable,” stated Kumble. Further, it was alleged that Kohli wanted Ravi Shastri to replace Kumble as the Head Coach of the Indian cricket team.

4. &#8216;Brain Fade&#8217; Steve Smith moment and the verbal exchange that followed

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-100629" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-and-Steve-Smith.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli and Steve Smith" width="600" height="439" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-100629" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli of India is held back by keeper Wriddhiman Saha as he has words with Steve Smith of Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Australian batting maestro <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/australian-stars-aaron-finch-steve-smith-on-track-to-recover-for-icc-t20-world-cup-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Smith’s</a> dismissal in the second innings of the second Test match between India and Australia at Bengaluru in the year 2017 created a lot of controversy. Smith was wrapped on the pads by Umesh Yadav, and the umpires had declared him out.

Smith was in two minds whether to take a review or not. Then, Smith did something that stunned the cricketing world. Smith was seen gesturing towards the dressing room, trying to seek assistance whether to take the review or not. This riled up Virat Kohli, and the Indian skipper was seen having a go at the umpire for the act that Smith had done.

Smith was immediately asked to leave the field and was declared out by the on-field umpires. In the post-match press conference too, Kohli did not mince his words and stated that the umpires knew what was transpiring out in the middle. The Indian skipper even bluntly stated that there are lines that the players should not cross on a cricket field.

“The umpires knew exactly what was going on. They’ve been doing that for the last three days and it has to stop. I saw that happening two times when I was batting out there. I pointed it out to the umpires &#8230; that’s why I was adamant. There are lines you don’t cross on the cricket field,” said Kohli.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-529375" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-Press-Conference-1.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli Press Conference" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-529375" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli Press Conference. (Photo Source: ICC)</figcaption>

During the high-profile 2015 Cricket World Cup, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/it-can-be-kohlis-plan-to-go-after-the-main-guy-in-the-opposition-sanjay-manjrekar-opines-about-anderson-bumrah-row/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a> lashed out at a journalist, who he thought had written an article about him and his then-girlfriend and now wife, Anushka Sharma.

However, it turned out that Kohli had lashed out at the wrong journalist, as the person who was at the receiving end of Kohli’s abuses was not the person who had written the piece about him and Anushka.

The Indian cricketing superstar then reportedly apologized to the journalist for having a go at him, in what was a case of mistaken identity.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-210681" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-against-Australia.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli against Australia" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-210681" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli of India gestures with his middle finger to the crowd. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)</figcaption>

On his very first tour to <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a>, Virat Kohli hogged the limelight for showing the middle finger to the Sydney crowd. Kohli reportedly stated that the crowd was using abusive language, and was targeting his mother and his sister. Kohli even said that the language from the Aussie crowd was the worst that he has ever heard.

“I agree cricketers don’t have to retaliate. what when the crowd says the worst things about your mother and sister. the worst I’ve heard,” tweeted Kohli after the incident.

You can see Virat Kohli’s tweet below

i agree cricketers dont have to retaliate. what when the crowd says the worst things about your mother and sister. the worst ive heard&mdash; Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/154522402179649536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2012</a>

Kohli was fined 50% of his match fee and was imposed with a Level two charge as well. Kohli has traveled a long way from that incident, has lorded over the Australian bowling attack, and is now one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-362321" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Gautam-Gambhir-and-Virat-Kohli.jpg" alt="Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-362321" class="wp-caption-text">Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Virat Kohli was involved in a heated argument on the field with another Indian cricketer, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20-world-cup-2021-gautam-gambhir-picks-the-semifinalists-of-the-tournament/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gautam Gambhir</a>. This incident took place in the 2013 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in a match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. While Kohli was the skipper of the Bangalore outfit, Gambhir was the skipper of the Kolkata franchise.

The incident took place in the 10th over of the Bangalore innings. Lakshmipathy Balaji bowled a delivery outside off stump to Kohli, and the batting maestro hit the ball straight to Eoin Morgan, who was positioned at deep cover and was dismissed for 35. And, that was when both Kohli and Gambhir lost their cool.

Gambhir was seen saying something to Kohli, and Kohli was not happy with it. Both men charged at each other in anger. But then, before things could turn ugly, umpires and players separated the duo. The Bangalore outfit beat the Kolkata side by 8 wickets in that clash.

Virat Kohli has been the poster boy of Indian cricket for more than a decade now. The Indian skipper has established himself as one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era. Kohli has scored 22937 runs in international cricket and has also plundered 70 hundreds as well.
Apart from his batting prowess, Kohli has also grabbed the limelight for his behaviour on and off the field as well. Kohli is a cricketer who wears his heart on his sleeve and does not hesitate to have a go at the opposition players.
And, through the course of his illustrious career, there have been several occasions when Kohli has grabbed the limelight and courted controversy. In this article, let us take a look at the top 10 controversies of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/chef-recalls-crazy-48-hours-at-his-restaurant-after-anushka-sharma-virat-kohli-and-other-indian-cricketers-visit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli’s</a> career.
<h3>10. Mitchell Johnson and Virat Kohli have a go at each other</h3>
<figure id="attachment_414915" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-414915" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-414915" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-and-Mitchell-Johnson.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli and Mitchell Johnson" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-414915" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli and Mitchell Johnson. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
When India toured Australia in 2014, the hopes of the Indian cricket fans hinged on Virat Kohli. Kohli was touted as the successor to <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/there-was-no-fear-to-bowl-to-sachin-tendulkar-as-he-couldnt-hurt-me-like-sehwag-muttiah-muralitharan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sachin Tendulkar</a>, and fans expected the Indian batting talisman to step up against the Aussies. Kohli had experienced a poor outing in England earlier in the year and was itching to prove his naysayers wrong when he stepped onto the field in the land of the kangaroos.
The master batsman scored 4 centuries in that series and was in top form with the willow. But then, apart from his prowess with the willow, Kohli’s altercations with Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson in the third Test match at Melbourne also grabbed the limelight. The Australian pacer had hit Kohli hard with a throw off his own bowling, and the Indian captain was clearly not impressed with it.
Johnson then bowled a delivery outside off stump, the Indian batsman went hard at it, the ball took the outside edge and flew past slip. And, after the boundary, both Johnson and Kohli were seen having a go at each other. Kohli then proceeded to smash Johnson. Whenever the left-arm pacer bowled short, Kohli took him to the cleaners. He then played a gorgeous cover drive off Johnson, and the war of words between the two continued.
Johnson finally dismissed Kohli for a masterly 169. This face-off with Johnson was evidence of the fact that Kohli is a fighter, and will not get bogged down when someone takes the fight to him.
<h3>9. War of words with Tim Paine</h3>
<figure id="attachment_414927" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-414927" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-414927" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-and-Tim-Paine.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli and Tim Paine" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-414927" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli and Tim Paine. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
During India’s tour to Australia in the year 2018-19, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/eng-vs-ind-mohammed-siraj-and-virat-kohli-point-towards-head-as-anderson-walks-out-to-bat-in-2nd-innings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kohli</a> had a run-in with another Australian player, Tim Paine. Paine was the Australian skipper at that time, and both Kohli and Paine were at each other’s throats throughout the series.
Paine stated that Kohli had given sendoffs to a few Australian players and he wanted to stand up for his players and show Kohli that the Australian players were in for a fight as well.
“He had given send-offs to a few of our players. I sort of just had enough and thought you also have to stand up for yourself and your teammates and that was one of the reasons I thought, ‘no, I’m the captain, it’s my turn, I have to stand up and show him we’re here for the fight’,”&nbsp;said Paine as quoted in the documentary ‘The Test’.
When Paine came out to bat in the second Test match, Kohli told the Aussie skipper that if Paine messed up with the willow, India would go 2-0 up in the series. “If he messes it up, it’s 2-0. Who’s gonna talk then?”, said Kohli to Paine on the field.
India created history in the land of the kangaroos in that series, beating Australia 2-1 in their own backyard, and won a series against Australia in Australia for the first time in history. Kohli scored 282 runs in the 7 innings that he played in the series, at an average in excess of 40.
<h3>8. Virat Kohli’s leave India comment to a fan</h3>
<figure id="attachment_546675" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-546675" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-546675" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-speaking.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli speaking" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-546675" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli speaking. (Photo Source: ICC)</figcaption></figure>
This incident courted a lot of controversy. A fan had stated that Virat Kohli is an overrated batsman, and he loved watching <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian</a> and England players batting, rather than the Indian players.
And, this comment did not go down well with Kohli. The Indian cricketing superstar asked the fan to leave the country and even asked him to get his priorities right.
“Okay, I don’t think you should live in India then… you should go and live somewhere else, no? Why are you living in our country and loving other countries? I don’t mind you not liking me but I don’t think you should live in our country and like other things. Get your priorities right,” said Kohli.
Several fans lashed out at Kohli for asking the fan to leave the country. People trolled the Indian cricketing superstar on social media, with some even stating that Kohli had gone abroad and married his wife Anushka Sharma, and liked Angelique Kerber, who is a ‘foreign’ tennis player.
<h3>7. Abusing James Anderson at Lord’s</h3>
<figure id="attachment_544764" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-544764" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-544764" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/James-Anderson-and-Virat-Kohli.jpg" alt="James Anderson and Virat Kohli" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-544764" class="wp-caption-text">James Anderson and Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
This incident took place just a week back, during the second Test match between England and India at Lord’s. Indian skipper Virat Kohli allegedly sledged <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/this-is-cheating-james-anderson-to-jasprit-bumrah-after-facing-the-bouncer-barrage-at-lords/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Anderson</a> and was heard telling the England pacer that Lord’s was not Anderson’s f*****g backyard.
This incident did not go down well with fans and players as well. England pace bowling colossus Stuart Broad responded to Kohli’s comments on Anderson. Broad tweeted that Anderson’s record at Lord’s is proof that the Lord’s Cricket Ground is indeed close to being Anderson’s backyard. Broad even opined that the language that Kohli used might get him into trouble.
You can see Stuart Broad’s tweet below
<amp-twitter data-width="500" data-dnt="true" height="694" width="486" layout="responsive" data-tweetid="1426873559977283584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"></amp-twitter>

Virat Kohli scored a total of 62 runs in the second Test match in both innings put together. India produced a sensational performance and beat England by 151 runs in the second Test match.
<h3>6. Sunil Gavaskar’s comment on Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma during IPL 2020</h3>
<figure id="attachment_549414" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-549414" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-549414" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-and-Sunil-Gavaskar.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli and Sunil Gavaskar" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-549414" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli and Sunil Gavaskar. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
The legendary <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/chetshwar-pujara-and-ajinkya-rahane-played-well-and-responded-well-to-the-criticism-sunil-gavaskar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunil Gavaskar</a> found himself in the spotlight after a comment on Virat Kohli during the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). On 24th September 2020, Kohli was dismissed for a score of just 1 run against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) side in an IPL match.
And, Sunil Gavaskar, who was on air at that time stated that during the lockdown that was induced by Covid-19 before the 13th season of the IPL, all that Kohli did was practice batting with Anushka Sharma bowling to him.
However, the Bollywood diva did not take it lightly. Stating that the year was 2020, Anushka lamented that she is still dragged into the picture for her husband’s performances.
“It’s 2020 and things still don’t change for me. When will I stop getting dragged into cricket and stop being used to pass sweeping statements?”&nbsp;stated Anushka Sharma.
This issue hogged a lot of limelight, and Gavaskar received some flak for his comments on the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper.
<h3>5. Differences with Anil Kumble</h3>
<figure id="attachment_110355" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-110355" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-110355" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-and-Anil-Kumble.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble News" width="600" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-110355" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Virat Kohli was embroiled in yet another controversy with India’s former Head coach and cricket legend <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/fantastic-to-see-a-fast-bowler-get-up-there-anil-kumble-congratulates-james-anderson-for-breaching-his-test-record/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anil Kumble</a> in the year 2017. It was alleged that it was Kohli who played the major role and plotted the ouster of Anil Kumble.
It was even alleged that Kohli had sent emails to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he was not happy with Kumble. Kumble stepped down from his role as the Indian Head Coach, stating that his relationship with Kohli had become untenable.
“[The] captain had reservations with my ‘style’ and about my continuing as the head coach. The partnership was untenable,” stated Kumble. Further, it was alleged that Kohli wanted Ravi Shastri to replace Kumble as the Head Coach of the Indian cricket team.
<h3>4. ‘Brain Fade’ Steve Smith moment and the verbal exchange that followed</h3>
<figure id="attachment_100629" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-100629" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-100629" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-and-Steve-Smith.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli and Steve Smith" width="600" height="439" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-100629" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli of India is held back by keeper Wriddhiman Saha as he has words with Steve Smith of Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
Australian batting maestro <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/australian-stars-aaron-finch-steve-smith-on-track-to-recover-for-icc-t20-world-cup-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Smith’s</a> dismissal in the second innings of the second Test match between India and Australia at Bengaluru in the year 2017 created a lot of controversy. Smith was wrapped on the pads by Umesh Yadav, and the umpires had declared him out.
Smith was in two minds whether to take a review or not. Then, Smith did something that stunned the cricketing world. Smith was seen gesturing towards the dressing room, trying to seek assistance whether to take the review or not. This riled up Virat Kohli, and the Indian skipper was seen having a go at the umpire for the act that Smith had done.
Smith was immediately asked to leave the field and was declared out by the on-field umpires. In the post-match press conference too, Kohli did not mince his words and stated that the umpires knew what was transpiring out in the middle. The Indian skipper even bluntly stated that there are lines that the players should not cross on a cricket field.
“The umpires knew exactly what was going on. They’ve been doing that for the last three days and it has to stop.&nbsp;I saw that happening two times when I was batting out there. I pointed it out to the umpires … that’s why I was adamant.&nbsp;There are lines you don’t cross on the cricket field,” said Kohli.
<h3>3. Abusing a journalist</h3>
<figure id="attachment_529375" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-529375" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-529375" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-Press-Conference-1.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli Press Conference" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-529375" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli Press Conference. (Photo Source: ICC)</figcaption></figure>
During the high-profile 2015 Cricket World Cup, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/it-can-be-kohlis-plan-to-go-after-the-main-guy-in-the-opposition-sanjay-manjrekar-opines-about-anderson-bumrah-row/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a> lashed out at a journalist, who he thought had written an article about him and his then-girlfriend and now wife, Anushka Sharma.
However, it turned out that Kohli had lashed out at the wrong journalist, as the person who was at the receiving end of Kohli’s abuses was not the person who had written the piece about him and Anushka.
The Indian cricketing superstar then reportedly apologized to the journalist for having a go at him, in what was a case of mistaken identity.
<h3>2. Middle finger show in Australia</h3>
<figure id="attachment_210681" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-210681" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-210681" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virat-Kohli-against-Australia.jpg" alt="Virat Kohli against Australia" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-210681" class="wp-caption-text">Virat Kohli of India gestures with his middle finger to the crowd. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
On his very first tour to <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-teams/australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a>, Virat Kohli hogged the limelight for showing the middle finger to the Sydney crowd. Kohli reportedly stated that the crowd was using abusive language, and was targeting his mother and his sister. Kohli even said that the language from the Aussie crowd was the worst that he has ever heard.
“I agree cricketers don’t have to retaliate. what when the crowd says the worst things about your mother and sister. the worst I’ve heard,” tweeted Kohli after the incident.
You can see Virat Kohli’s tweet below
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Kohli was fined 50% of his match fee and was imposed with a Level two charge as well. Kohli has traveled a long way from that incident, has lorded over the Australian bowling attack, and is now one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era.
<h3>1. The Kohli-Gambhir spat in the IPL</h3>
<figure id="attachment_362321" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-362321" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-362321" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Gautam-Gambhir-and-Virat-Kohli.jpg" alt="Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-362321" class="wp-caption-text">Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
Virat Kohli was involved in a heated argument on the field with another Indian cricketer, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20-world-cup-2021-gautam-gambhir-picks-the-semifinalists-of-the-tournament/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gautam Gambhir</a>. This incident took place in the 2013 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in a match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. While Kohli was the skipper of the Bangalore outfit, Gambhir was the skipper of the Kolkata franchise.
The incident took place in the 10th over of the Bangalore innings. Lakshmipathy Balaji bowled a delivery outside off stump to Kohli, and the batting maestro hit the ball straight to Eoin Morgan, who was positioned at deep cover and was dismissed for 35. And, that was when both Kohli and Gambhir lost their cool.
Gambhir was seen saying something to Kohli, and Kohli was not happy with it. Both men charged at each other in anger. But then, before things could turn ugly, umpires and players separated the duo. The Bangalore outfit beat the Kolkata side by 8 wickets in that clash.

Through the course of his illustrious career, there have been several occasions when Virat Kohli has grabbed the limelight and courted controversy.

10 Controversial moments in Virat Kohli's career

Virat Kohli has been the poster boy of Indian cricket for more than a decade, and has established himself as one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era.