Lucknow Super Giants spinner Amit Mishra’s remarks on star India batter Virat Kohli have sparked a huge debate. Mishra, who recently appeared on a podcast, stated that due to immense power and fame, Virat has changed a lot as a person and the relationship between the duo is not the same anymore. As Mishra’s statement went viral, the social media divided as many came in support of Kohli and criticised the spinner. Recently, former India batter Robin Uthappa also hailed Kohli for his hard work and personality.

Uthappa, who was a part of the Indian team that won the 2007 T20 World Cup, said that the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper has evolved into a mature human being. 

“I have actually seen Virat kind of evolve from a brash young Delhi boy to an evolved human being. You know the evolution has been quite tremendous, to be honest. Today he’s practically reaping what he had sown 15 years ago. One of the things that has always stood out to me about Cheeku has been his conviction in himself,” Uthappa said on cricket.com/tv.

“When I listen to a young 19-year-old Virat Kohli, you know talking about himself or his conviction in himself, you’ll get mortified, you’ll be like ‘What is this dude talking about?’. “But fast forward 10 years and you be like ‘Okay now that makes sense,” he added. 

Earlier, Punjab Kings star batter Shashank Singh also came in support of Kohli and shared an interesting tale from the IPL.

“He was standing, I was standing. We were standing for 40 minutes. I didn’t even know when 40 minutes passed. Our team position was 12:45. It was 12:40, I didn’t know when 40 minutes passed. And we were talking about cricket, about technique, about shots, about mental chatter,” Shashank Singh told InsideSport.

“And the way he was answering, it felt like, keep doing it, keep doing it. It felt like, he is one of our Chhattisgarh players. He was so friendly, talking to me to help me understand. It felt so good to talk to him,” he added.

File photo of Sanju Samson.© AFP

One of the most iconic cricketers of all time, Virat Kohli became a big talking point on social media after veteran Indian spinner Amit Mishra shared some scintillating revelations from the Indian Premier League. Mishra, who plays for Lucknow Super Giants, suggested that Kohli has changed a lot over the years, with “fame and power” bringing about a big shift in his personality. As Mishra’s comments triggered a huge debate on social media, Punjab Kings star Shashank Singh shared a brilliant story from his interaction with Kohli, that truly showcases the personality the latter has.

During an interview, Shashank revealed that Kohli stood for 40 minutes while discussing cricketing topics with him after an IPL match. The length to which the Royal Challengers Bengaluru star went to help a youngster like him, touched Shashank’s heart.

“He was standing, I was standing. We were standing for 40 minutes. I didn’t even know when 40 minutes passed,” Shashank Singh told InsideSport.

“Our team position was 12:45. It was 12:40, I didn’t know when 40 minutes passed. And we were talking about cricket, about technique, about shots, about mental chatter,” he added.

“And the way he was answering, it felt like, keep doing it, keep doing it. It felt like, he is one of our Chhattisgarh players. He was so friendly, talking to me to help me understand. It felt so good to talk to him,” he added.

Earlier, Mishra had drawn a comparison between Kohli and Rohit, saying the latter has remained the same over the years but the former has changed drastically due to ‘fame and power’ he has earned.

“I have seen Virat change a lot. We had almost stopped talking. When you get fame and power, they think people are reaching out to them for a purpose. I was never one of those. I have known Cheeku since the time he was 14, when he used to eat samosas, when he needed pizza every night. But there is a huge difference in the Cheeku I knew and Virat Kohli the captain,” he had said in a podcast.

Veteran Indian spinner Amit Mishra dropped a few bombs during a podcast, as he shared details from some of the most controversial incidents in Indian cricket. Mishra shared the inside details from the Virat Kohli vs Naveen-ul-Haq battle during Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, revealing how the Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter abused the Lucknow Super Giants pacer. Mishra even suggested that though everything seems normal between the two on social media, it would be difficult for Naveen to respect Kohli after after that IPL incident. Now, Naveen has responded to Mishra’s remarks.

“For social media, it all seemed to be over between them. But do you think Naveen will respect Kohli ever again? What about the youngsters who saw the incident where a big star was abusing others,” Mishra had said on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast “Unplugged”.

Naveen, who is playing for the Texas Super Kings in USA’s Major League Cricket, reiterated that all is well between him and Virat, with the IPL clash only being a ‘heat of the moment’ incident.

“That was just the heat of the moment during the match and nothing personal. And I and Virat Kohli both have forgotten and in the ODI World Cup, we finished, hugged and we moved on from that. But social media nowadays keeps these things going on and on,” Naveen said in a video shared by the Texas Super Kings.

Naveen’s connect with the king kohli! #WhistleForTexas#AllYouNeedIsYellove#CognizantMajorLeagueCricket#MLC2024 pic.twitter.com/qshjxUpN5r

— Texas Super Kings (@TexasSuperKings) July 17, 2024

Mishra, who is one of the top wicket-takers in the Indian Premier League, had revealed that Virat abused many LSG players during the IPL 2023 clash, after supposedly getting triggered by Gautam Gambhir‘s ‘finger on lips’ gesture during the reverse fixture in Bengaluru.

“He started abusing our players (in the LSG vs RCB rematch in Lucknow). He didn’t have any grudges with Kyle Myers but he abused him as well. Naveen-ul-Haq was bowling, he would abuse him too. A lot of things would have been avoided but Kohli chose not to,” the former Indian leg-spinner had said.

Kohli himself hasn’t yet spoken on the matter.

Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli has been a topic of debate on social media ever since veteran Indian spinner Amit Mishra triggered a row with his comments in a podcast. From suggesting that Kohli has changed because of ‘fame and power’, to accusing him of abusing his Lucknow Super Giants teammates during an IPL 2023 game, Mishra launched a direct attack at Kohli during his chat on a YouTube channel. Kohli’s fans, in defence, have come out all guns blazing, highlighting the examples of a few other former teammates of Virat, like Ishant Sharma, with whom he still has an excellent camaraderie.

Amid this debate on the internet, an old video has resurfaced on social media from India’s tour of Australia in 2014. In the series, Virat had become a constant target for the Australians, especially Mitchell Johnson, with whom he had many verbal battles on the field.

When Kohli was asked about his verbal duels in the press conference, especially from the ‘respect’ perspective, he said he has come out to play cricket and not earn people’s respect.

“I am out here to play cricket, not to earn anyone’s respect. As long as I’m scoring runs I’m happy with it. If you like it, good,” he said.

He further added “I don’t really care what they think as far as respecting me or me respecting them. I’ve got a nice friendship with a few of them. But someone who says anything that comes to his mouth, I don’t respect.”

I’m here to play cricket , I’m not here to earn anyone’s respect – Virat Kohli pic.twitter.com/wMd2lwiFS9

— (@Kohlifiedd18) July 16, 2024

During a chat with Shubhankar Mishra on YouTube show ‘Unplugged’, Amit Mishra had said: “I have seen Virat change a lot. We had almost stopped talking. When you get fame and power, they think people are reaching out to them for a purpose. I was never one of those. I have known Cheeku since the time he was 14, when he used to eat Samosas, when he needed Pizza every night. But there is a huge difference in the Cheeku I knew and Virat Kohli the captain. Whenever he meets me, he is very respectful, but it’s obviously not the same anymore.”

Veteran Indian spinner Amit Mishra, who remains one of the highest wicket-takers in the Indian Premier League history, has made some explosive revelations about his time under Virat Kohli in the Indian cricket team. Mishra also played under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, and claimed that the wicket-keeper batter was always honest with him about his inclusion and exclusion from the team. However, Mishra has suggested that it wasn’t the same case with Virat who never gave him a clear answer despite being asked.

Mishra, during a chat on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube show ‘Unplugged‘, made quite an explosive claim as he said that being good at your skill isn’t the only thing that is required to consistently remain a part of the Indian team, being liked is also important.

“Being liked matters a lot in team selection. Just playing good cricket isn’t enough. The captain always decides the Playing XI. I had an excellent rapport with MS Dhoni. I asked him twice why I wasn’t getting picked, he told me that I don’t fit the combination,” he said.

“I was told that I was being given a rest. I never asked for it. I hadn’t even played 10 Test matches by then, why would I ask for a rest or break? If I have to tell you honestly, I wasn’t in a position [to question Dhoni]. Yes, I asked the coach, and he told me to go ask Dhoni, but like I said, I wasn’t in that position to go and ask Dhoni. I asked the coach again and he just said we are giving you rest,” he added.

Mishra then revealed the ‘worst feeling’ he ever got in his career, saying he was forced to take rest after picking up a knee injury. While the rule was that injured players, upon making full recovery, were automatically selected in the team, the same didn’t happen with Mishra.

“The worst I’ve felt in my career was when I picked up a knee injury five years ago. It happened in between the match. The series before I was the Man of the Series and the Man of the match against New Zealand. And this used to be the rule back then, not sure if it still happens but if you get injured while playing, you are given an automatic comeback. It happened with Wriddhiman Saha, Anil Kumble and Hardik Pandya, but I never got it,” said Mishra.

It was during an IPL game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru that Mishra managed to confront Kohli and ask about his place in the team. The veteran spinner claimed that Virat promised him he would ask the management and respond but he never did.

“During the IPL, our last match was against RCB. I asked him to give a clear picture about my career. He said ‘Mishy bhai, I’ll ask and let you know’. Virat Kohli helped me in my comeback series against Sri Lanka – 2016. I was doing well and India needed a leg-spinner who could bowl in Sri Lanka. When I came back, he said, ‘from today, you will train for fitness with me’. I told him I can’t lift weights like you but I can run and whatever else you want. Then I got injured so I asked him again, but I never got a clear answer. I messaged him. He read the text and said ‘I’ll let you know’ but never did,” he revealed.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 campaign produced some fiery clashes on the field, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru superstar Virat Kohli taking on Lucknow Super Giants’ Naveen-ul-Haq. The clash between the two spiralled on beyond the match, with LSG coach Gautam Gambhir also throwing himself in the altercation. Gambhir and Kohli had a heated argument that prompted forced their teammates to intervene. Now, Lucknow spinner Amit Mishra has revealed what exactly was the reason behind such an explosive clash that season.

In a chat during a podcast on YouTube, LSG’s veteran spinner Amit Mishra revealed that the story started a few matches before in Bengaluru when Lucknow mentor Gautam Gambhir had done the ‘finger on mouth’ gesture towards Bengaluru fans.

“It all started in Bengaluru where we (LSG) won the game and Gambhir expressed his aggression. The public was going mad so Gautam gestured them to keep quiet. Probably Virat Kohli didn’t like that. We thought the matter ended with the game but not for Kohli,” Mishra said.

Kohli, according to Mishra, was probably not happy with Gambhir’s gesture and started to abuse LSG players when the two teams met again. Mishra said that Virat could’ve avoided certain things but he chose not to.

“He started abusing our players (in the LSG vs RCB rematch in Lucknow). He didn’t have any grudges with Kyle Myers but he abused him as well. Naveen-ul-Haq was bowling, he would abuse him too. Bohot cheezein avoid ho sakti thi but Virat Kohli ne nahi ki (a lot of things would have been avoided but Kohli chose not to).

Kohli even had an altercation with Mishra when he was batting with Naven in the middle. As Mishra tried to calm things down, Virat told him to explain the same to Naveen, not him.

“When I was batting with Naveen, I asked Kohli, ‘Who are you even talking to He’s just a youngster and not even close to your stature. Whatever happened has happened.’ He answered back, saying, “You make him understand that, not me.”

As per Mishra, Virat didn’t calm down even after the match concluded and continued to abuse Naveen, this is when Gambhir decided to intervene.

“But the problem began after the game. He (Kohli) started abusing him again during the customary handshakes. That’s when Gambhir intervened, questing why are you starting it again when the game has ended and you guys have won. I moved Gambhir away but Naveen later came to the dressing and said that Kohli started abusing again,” he added.

While Kohli and Naveen seemed to have buried to hatchet, having played against each other on multiple occasions since the incident, Mishra doesn’t thing the Afghanistan pacer will ever respect the Team India batter again.

“For social media, it all seemed to be over between them. But do you think Naveen will respect Kohli ever again? What about the youngsters who saw the incident where a big star was abusing others,” Mishra wondered.

Veteran Indian spinner Amit Mishra touched upon some of the most controversial topics in Indian cricket during a chat on a podcast. While speaking of the KL Rahul-Sanjeev Goenka incident to the Virat Kohli–Gautam Gambhir row, Mishra shed light on some highly talked-about topics in the sport. He also shared his views on Shubman Gill‘s elevation as India skipper, for the recently-concluded T20I series against Zimbabwe, saying he doesn’t feel the opening batter should’ve been given the responsibility. For Mishra, Ruturaj Gaikwad remains a better option in all aspects, even as a batter.

During a chat on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast on YouTube, Mishra had no hesitation in suggesting that he wouldn’t have made Gill India’s T20 captain for the Zimbabwe series. The veteran spinner admitted that the decision was a surprising one.

“Mai Shubman ko captain nahi banaunga, kyonki maine usey IPL me dekha, he doesn’t know ki captaincy kaise karna hai, uske paas captaincy ka idea hi nahi hai. (I would not have made him the captain. You saw the IPL this season, Gill doesn’t know how to captain the side, he is clueless),” he said on the show.

“Just because he is a part of the Indian team, he shouldn’t be made the captain. Gill has done well in the IPL over the last few seasons, he did fine in the Indian team as well. The Indian team made him the captain as they want to give him the leadership experience, which wasn’t visible when he led Gujarat Titans in IPL,” he added.

Amit Mishra said, “I’ve seen him (Shubman Gill) in the IPL, and he doesn’t know how to do captaincy. He has no idea about captaincy. Why they made him captain is a question. Just because he’s in the Indian team doesn’t mean he should be made captain.”

pic.twitter.com/7D9nf9aSpe

— (@SergioCSKK) July 15, 2024

Speaking of the captaincy options in the shortest format, Mishra cited the names of Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant, and Ruturaj Gaikwad as some of the other options. While Gaikwad was a part of the Zimbabwe T20Is series since the beginning, Samson joined the team in the second match.

“There’s Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant, Ruturaj Gaikwad who can lead India in T20Is. Right now, the BCCI is only looking to assess all option,” he said on being asked about the reason behind Gill’s elevation to the leadership role.

Everyone Favours Someone

“Everyone has some liking”, Mishra said on being asked if Rahul Dravid‘s ‘favouritism’ got him India captaincy. “I am not a Shubman Gill hater, I also like him. But, I feel Ruturaj is a better option because he has scored runs in tougher situations, be it for Chennai Super Kings or during the Asian Games. He is a good option, should be kept with the team, the way Yashasvi Jaiswal was with the Indian side at the T20 World Cup.”

“He is someone who can deliver in T20Is, ODIs and Tests. The most important thing is, who brings calmness to the team? He doesn’t play risky shots much. He should hire a good manager (for social media PR),” he further explained.

Veteran Indian cricket team spinner Amit Mishra has spoken about a stark difference in the nature between Indian stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The leg-spinner pointed out that Kohli does not have many friends within the Indian team for a reason, and stated that “fame and power” has changed him. Mishra drew a comparison between Kohli and Rohit, claiming that the current India captain remains the same person, and someone who Mishra can talk and joke with in the same manner despite Rohit’s fame and stature.

Speaking on YouTuber Shubhankar Mishra’s show ‘Unplugged’, Amit Mishra revealed that a difference in nature between Kohli and Rohit is the reason why the former has fewer friends in the team.

“Not everyone to be very honest. As a cricketer, I respect him a lot, but I don’t share the same equation with him as I used to,” said Mishra. “Why does Virat have less friends? His and Rohit’s natures are different,” he added.

“I haven’t been part of the Indian team in years. Still when I meet Rohit during the IPL or any other event, he is always joking with me. I don’t need to think what he will think,” Mishra continued.

When the host asked Mishra whether Kohli had changed, Mishra responded in the affirmative.

“I have seen Virat change a lot. We had almost stopped talking. When you get fame and power, some people think that others are reaching out to them only for a purpose,” Mishra said.

The host brought in an old quote by Yuvraj Singh, where the famous all-rounder mentioned that he used to be great friends with ‘Cheeku’ (Virat Kohli’s nickname), but not the star Kohli.

“I have known Cheeku since the time he was 14, when he used to eat samosas, when he needed pizza every night. But there is a huge difference in the Cheeku I knew and Virat Kohli, the captain,” said Mishra.

Mishra played 22 Tests and 36 ODIs for India, with his last appearance coming in 2017.

Meanwhile, Kohli and Rohit were both part of the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning side this year. The duo announced their retirement from T20Is after winning the final.

Amit Mishra (L) and Rohit Sharma© X (formerly Twitter)