Australia’s two-time World Cup winner and commentator, Matthew Hayden, criticized Virat Kohli for his constant involvement with the umpires during the IPL 2024 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on May 18.
The former RCB skipper Kohli, known for his active presence on the field, was seen frequently engaging with the match officials, even more than the current skipper Faf du Plessis, during the high-stake IPL 2024 clash in Bengaluru, and it irked Hayden.
Kohli’s behavior did not go down well with the former Australian opener, and he couldn’t stop himself from expressing his disappointment on air during the RCB versus CSK clash on Saturday. Hayden expressed his anger over the specific incident that occurred in the 12th over of CSK’s chase.
Virat Kohli’s frequent interactions with umpires irk Matthew Hayden
As the umpires gathered for a discussion, Kohli approached them and whispered something, and the former Australian cricketer found his act totally inappropriate. Apart from this, Kohli was seen talking to the umpires on multiple occasions throughout the RCB versus CSK match in Bengaluru.
While many decided to avoid commenting on Kohli’s interference, Hayden decided to raise the matter on-air, as the Aussie stressed that engaging with the match officials was not Kohli’s job since Du Plessis is RCB’s skipper and the Indian batter should not overstep his boundaries.
However, Kohli could possibly want to support his team, but Hayden was not happy with the former Indian skipper’s actions, saying such behavior can undermine the power of the captain and create unnecessary pressure on the umpires.
The commentator stressed that engaging with the umpires is the primary responsibility and authority of the skipper, not the other team members, regardless of their stature, as he blasted Kohli’s behavior.
Matthew Hayden said while commentating in the match: “There’s way too much interjection from Virat Kohli. He is not the captain and he should not be in those conversations with the umpire.”
Virat Kohli was on full song against CSK
Notably, Kohli’s emotions ran high during the blockbuster clash in Bengaluru. While batting, the dashing right-hander could be seen mouthing words to himself, and every time he hit a boundary, he either punched the air or his bat in excitement.
But the Indian batting maestro’s intensity reached the next level when the RCB was fielding against the CSK in Bengaluru. Kohli celebrated each wicket like it was his personal achievement. Kohli contributed 47 runs off 29 balls in the RCB’s memorable 27-run win over the CSK.
With this win, the RCB qualified for the IPL 2024 playoffs on the basis of its highest net run rate compared to the CSK. They will now face the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the eliminator on May 22 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
On the other hand, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (CSK) clashing in Qualifier 1 of the ongoing IPL 2024 on May 21 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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