Virat Kohli has given us several reasons to feel proud about our nation and his cricketing performances have earned him a huge and loyal fan following. He is one of the most loved cricket players India has ever produced and we feel that he deserves all the love and care.
Virat Kohli has the knack of getting involved in controversies but in the most recent one, he is facing trouble by annoying a lot of Cricket fans in India. All this happened because he did something which was unexpected from him.
In a video from his newly launched app, a fan told Virat that he is just an overrated batsman and there’s nothing special in his batting.
In return, Kohli said-
“Okay, I don’t think you should live in India then. You should go and live somewhere else, no? Why are you living in our country and loving other countries? I don’t mind you not liking me but I don’t think you should live in our country and like other things. Get your priorities right.”
You can watch the video of the same below:
Is #Kohli asking his non-Indian fans to leave their country and come to India????????.. Or to sort their priorities? #WTF pic.twitter.com/tRAX4QbuZI
— H (@Hramblings) November 6, 2018
Users on Twitter started making fun of him for this:
He is asking Indian Aussie fans to leave India ????????????
— Mohammed Ibrahim (@iBM1105) November 6, 2018
Married in a foreign country
Supports foreign countries in other sports
Plays a sport originating from a foreign country instead of playing kabaddi
Talks in a foreign language many times
Wears foreign dresses
Is he in his right mind speaking those words now?— Naresh Khuraijam (@Kens103) November 6, 2018
well he had to go to other country for his marriage…itna bhi deshbhakti nhi h tere under ki dusro ko bol skta h desh chhorne ko
— Rohit Raushan (@raushanrhit) November 7, 2018
Lol this is ridiculous! Did he not get married in another country. Indian venues not good enough for him? Wonder when will this fake patriotism of celebrities end
— Gunns (@Guns_16) November 7, 2018
This is rubbish from.Kohli.
I like Lara than Tendulkar. I like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Ambrose than any other Indian fast bowlers. It's my wish and I live in Tamilnadu.— Jayakumar Dhandapani (@JayakumarDhanda) November 7, 2018
To take his stand above all this, he decided to reply the trollers. Here’s what he said:
I guess trolling isn’t for me guys, I’ll stick to getting trolled! ????
I spoke about how “these Indians” was mentioned in the comment and that’s all. I’m all for freedom of choice. ???? Keep it light guys and enjoy the festive season. Love and peace to all.
I guess trolling isn't for me guys, I'll stick to getting trolled! 😁
I spoke about how "these Indians" was mentioned in the comment and that's all. I’m all for freedom of choice. 🙏 Keep it light guys and enjoy the festive season. Love and peace to all. ✌😊— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) November 8, 2018
Kohli endorses a total of 18 global and Indian brands and earns Rs 4.5-5 crore a day for one-off appearances. Currently, he is the most valuable celebrity in India, with a brand value of $144 million. Kohli’s endorsements include cab-hailing platform Uber, sportswear company Puma, UB Group’s Royal Challenge energy drink, Manyavar ethnic clothing, GSK Consumer’s malt drink Boost, virtual sports entertainment company Smaaash, Audi cars and Tissot watches.
Also Read: Here’s Why Virat Kohli Rejected A Multi-Crore Endorsement Offer
Talking about the ongoing controversies, such situations not only impact the image of the celebrities but the brands that are associated with them. We are sharing how brands are responding over this.
Abhishek Ganguly, managing director of German sports lifestyle brand Puma in India said
“The issue is being blown out of proportion. Anyone who has seen the entire video on Virat’s fan app will know that he was speaking in jest in a section called ‘Virat responds to mean tweets.”
“It was an emotional outburst, which can happen. Virat has proved himself in all forms of cricket and he should not be judged like the way he is being,”
said Shripal Morakhia, promoter of Smaaash Entertainment in which cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has invested.
Officials of other companies expressed disappointment at Kohli’s video statement.
“We are living in the age of social media and he being a youth icon and making statements like he did puts our brand in bad light too,”
said a senior official of a beverage brand that Kohli endorses.
“This was unexpected of Virat. Any statement like this by a responsible brand ambassador can also drag the brand into question – unfortunately, it does get linked to brands he is directly associated with,”
said a top official representing another brand that Kohli backs.
Both officials asked not to be identified because they are not authorised to speak to the media.
Also Read:Marketing Tips To Learn From Our Captain Virat Kohli
What are your thoughts on this whole controversy and how brands are reacting over it? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
