Image Source: PTI
[Saba Sports News] Virat Kohli, the ace Indian cricketer, is celebrated as one of the top batters of his era, known for his outstanding performance across all cricket formats. His exceptional fitness levels have consistently placed him ahead in the game. When discussing his adaptability and consistent performance across different formats, cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle was questioned about Kohli’s versatility.
A controversial clip of Bhogle discussing how the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) could potentially benefit from Kohli getting out early, allowing a player with a higher strike rate to take over, subsequently went viral. Bhogle, aged 62, claimed this clip was misleadingly trimmed and shared out of context.
In his original comments, made during the SHRM India Talent Leadership Summit & Expo 2024 in Mumbai, Bhogle used Kohli as a prime example of a player who, despite his greatness, might find it strategically beneficial for his team if he were to get out under certain circumstances to make way for a more aggressive batsman.
“Virat Kohli is a great example. Virat Kohli is playing Test cricket for India and he isn’t supposed to get out. Now, he goes to play for RCB, for India; beyond a certain point, it might actually have been the interest of the side for him to get out. How do you reconcile to the fact that I am one of the greatest who have played the game but actually at this stage, it’s in the team’s interest that I get out because the person who is coming in will probably hit 20 of 6 balls. Viral Kohli is an extreme example,” Harsha Bhogle stated.
Reacting to the viral clip, Bhogle voiced his frustration on X (previously Twitter), calling for the release of the full video to provide accurate context to his statements. He criticized the selective editing of his speech on social media, highlighting the importance of understanding the complete narrative before jumping to conclusions.
Bhogle emphasized that his point was about the need for even the greatest players to adapt their game to the team’s needs, not questioning Kohli’s capability or performance.
“This is an example of what I was talking about with social media. The video is cropped just before the point where I say that Virat is capable of playing across situations but that I was only highlighting how even the greatest players have to keep adjusting demands and priorities. Come on @PTI_News I am sure you can do better. With selectively edited reporting, nobody will be able to articulate thoughts again. Can you put out the whole clip please?” Bhogle posted on X.