ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Virat Kohli’s abusive behavior reported to ICC and BCCI by journalist

Nevertheless, the Hindustan Times whose journalist was at the receiving end of Kohli’s abuse has filed complaints with the ICC and the BCCI.

The hullabaloo surrounding Virat Kohli’s offensive behaviour refused to subside with an Indian journalist complaining the ICC and BCCI about the incident, despite Indian team management’s labour to play it down. (ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Full coverage)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Anurag Thakur defended the Indian batsman saying the case was misunderstood and the issue should be put to rest straight away to let the team focus on the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

“He (Kohli) has clarified on the issue. For India, the ongoing World Cup is very important. We need to put all these issues to rest and indirectly has communicated that he misunderstood the situation. Let’s put this matter to an end,” Thakur was quoted in a report from MiD-Day.

Thakur was elected as BCCI secretary at the board’s AGM held in Chennai on Sunday and he said, “In future I think these kind of incidents should be avoided and taken care of. I have not spoken to players yet, the team management is there, taking care of all the players’ needs.”

“There was a misunderstanding and no abusive language was used. Virat has spoken to the concerned gentleman immediately and matter ends,” the team management issued the brief statement.

Nevertheless, the Hindustan Times whose journalist was at the receiving end of Kohli’s abuse has filed complaints with the ICC and the BCCI.

“I have written a letter to the BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya after consulting our Editor-in-Chief. I have asked Dalmiya to look into the incident. The reporter in question, Jasvinder Sidhu, has also informed the ICC about the incident,” HT Sports Editor Sukhwant Basra said.

The newspaper is also probing whether Kohli had dishonoured any law applicable in that country and could go for the option of legal action against the Indian batsman. Kohli suddenly lost his calm after the training session in Perth yesterday and reportedly hurled abuses at the journalist ahead of India’s clash against West Indies at the WACA on Friday. (ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Points Table)

Once he had completed the training session, Kohli saw the journalist of a national daily in front of him. It was nightmare for the journalist as the Indian star started using filthiest of language which left some of the Indian team members absolutely clueless as what exactly had happened.

The journalist looked amazed but once Kohli calmed down, he told someone about an article that had appeared about him and his girlfriend Anushka Sharma in a national daily and he believed that it was that particular journalist, who had penned the story.

When the India vice-captain was told that he had mistaken this particular reporter with someone else, Kohli called one of the journalists and apologised for the incident through him.