Virat Kohli is very passionate: Darren Lehmann

Virat Kohli, the 30-year-old Indian captain, has recently been a recipient of severe criticism for his on-field behaviour. During the second Test at the new Perth Stadium, Kohli was involved in quite a few on-field banters, especially with Aussie captain and wicketkeeper Tim Paine. Their altercation went to such an extent that even the on-field umpires had to intervene.

The Delhi-born cricketer has subsequently been bashed by the likes of Sanjay Manjrekar and Michael Hussey for his aggressive attitude. However, Virat earlier got support from former Aussie batsman Allan Border, who said that characters like Kohli are very rare these days. Recently, former Australian cricketer Darren Lehmann also came out in support of the bearded beast.

I am sure they will sort it out

“Virat Kohli is very passionate. So that’s what you get from him on the field and that’s what he will always give you. He is an excitable character. He enjoys his challengers, and he wants to win. Not only for himself, he wants his country to win. It was good to see out there and I thought it was good banter,” Lehmann was quoted as saying in Times Now.

“Neither Kohli nor Tim Paine crossed the line. It was good banter, and it came across as a bit of fun on the stump mics. You have to show passion when you are playing for your country and I don’t have any issue with what happened. There shouldn’t be any drama about what happened in Perth.

“You just have to make sure it is never personal and play the game in right spirit. Rest, I am sure they will sort it out after the game or after the series,” Lehmann, who resigned as the Australian coach after the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa, added.

Kohli didn’t have the best of times as far as overseas Test series’ this year is concerned. India, under his leadership, lost in South Africa and England where they could only win a couple of matches. In the ongoing series, the national team humbled Paine’s men at Adelaide Oval in 31 runs.

But they slumped to a defeat by 146 runs in Perth. The third Test is scheduled to start on December 26- Boxing Day- at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Kohli has been decent with the bat and scored a marvelous century in the first innings of the erstwhile encounter.

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