Virat Kohli faces backlash from Australian media, former-India captain gets lambasted after Melbourne airport row

Virat Kohli faced a severe backlash and was called a ‘bully’ by the Australian media ahead of India’s Boxing Day Test, over the Melbourne Airport incident where the former India captain involved in a heated exchange with a reporter and a cameraperson.

The incident took place last Thursday when Kohli along with his family arrived at Melbourne airport. Being the talk of the town since the time he landed on Australian soil for Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), Kohli and his family were filmed, irking the Indian cricketer.

Although the matter was done and dusted then, Kohli was shown no mercy by Nine Sports reporter Tony Jones, who called him ‘berating’ the Channel 7 reporter at the Melbourne airport.

“Nat was out there with a cameraman, a Channel 7 reporter was out there with his cameraman and they were doing what we do on a daily basis essentially, and that’s be at the airport to actually get identities, whether they’re politicians, whether they’re sporting identities or whatever,” Jones said on radio channel 3AW Melbourne.

“He took umbrage, he being Virat Kohli, to the fact the cameras were focused on him. Well duh! You’re a batting superstar, you’re a global superstar in the world of cricket, and he takes umbrage to the fact that the attention is focused on him.

“What really got my back up when I saw the footage was that he turned around to the three blokes, the two cameramen and the reporter from Channel 7, and said you guys are OK, it’s her.

“Really? Big tough man, Virat. And then he stood over this girl, Nat Yoannidis, who’s about five foot one, five foot two, and just absolutely berated her. You’re nothing but a bully, Virat,” he added.

Virat Kohli’s form in BGT 2024-25

Meanwhile, Kohli’s form with the bat in the ongoing BGT has also been the talk of the town. In his five innings so far in Australia, Kohli accumulated a total of 126, including a hundred in Perth.

Mostly importantly, Kohli’s weakness towards the balls on outside off-stump were exposed by the Australian bowlers. With two more Test matches to go and the series locked 1-1, Kohli will play a big factor for India in the remaining couple of games for India if they are to retain the title. While India won the first Test, Australia emerged the winner in the second. The third Test in Brisbane ended in a draw.