Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson took a jibe at Indian skipper Virat Kohli’s ‘no sledging’ remark. Kohli had recently said that he doesn’t look to initiate an unnecessary talk with the opponent. In fact, the rivalry between Virat Kohli and Mitchell Johnson is well known. Both of them had tried to get under each other’s skin in the 2014 Down Under series.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli had said he has matured in his approach. Kohli said that he earlier used to engage himself in the verbal battles as he believed it got the better of him and helped him pump up. However, Kohli said it is not the case now as he doesn’t require these things to pump him up.
Kohli and Johnson had shared a great rivalry in 2014.
“When it comes to getting engaged in an argument, or a fight, as people like to call it excitedly, I have been completely okay with playing without an altercation. At a personal level, I don’t need to find these things anymore. I have enough belief in my abilities that I can play without a reason to pump myself up,” Kohli said in the press conference.
In fact, Virat Kohli said India never look to start an altercation. However, they respond back when the opposition has taken the first steps.
“We were always the ones giving it back. We were never the ones starting anything. So as long as it doesn’t start, we don’t have a problem in focussing on our game and just doing what we need to do,” he added.
However, it is well known that Virat Kohli doesn’t shy away from giving send-offs. Kohli is generally all excited after a dismissal and always likes to take the bull by its horns.
Fox Sports Cricket tweeted the news about Kohli’s press conference where he made the aforementioned comment and in reply to that tweet, Johnson said that will look forward to the send-offs given to Kohli.
“I look forward to no Virat send-offs,” Johnson replied.
Australia and India will play the first T20I on November 21 at the Gabba.