In response to his criticism of India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batsman Virat Kohli, former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull has disclosed that he has been the target of death threats. Though he frequently calls Kohli the best batsman of his generation, the former cricket player turned analyst isn’t afraid to call him out when necessary. During the first part of the IPL 2024, Doull was among a number of former players who had criticized Kohli for his batting strike rate while watching the game.
After receiving criticism for his batting strategy, Kohli also expressed his ire, stating that because he has been winning games for more than ten years, he doesn’t like it when people tell him how to be constructed. Kohli finished the season as the leading run scorer, but RCB’s wait for an IPL championship remained. At an average of 154.7, he scored 741 runs in 15 games.
During the discussion virat’s teammate Dinesh Karthik suggested that the Star batter likes these sort of situations and loves to proves his critics wrong.
“Regarding his season, Virat Kohli aspires to write a book. He was ok at first. Many thanks to Simon (Doull) and a few others who urged him on. You are familiar with that aspect of Virat Kohli. He seems to thrive on it, in my opinion. He’s a person who unintentionally clings on things in an attempt to succeed. He enjoys seeing others prove mistakes. His enthusiasm is greatly fueled by this, even though he might not express it outright. He resembles lava liquefying as it emerges. In the aftermath of the IPL 2024 final, Karthik spoke with Doull on Cricbuzz. “He is fiery and you don’t want to be anywhere close to him because you are going to get burnt for sure.”
When Doull compliments Kohli, he emphasizes that no one really notices, but if the star batter receives even a small criticism, the so-called supporters will often threaten to kill him. “He’s too good to be concerned about what might happen to him if he escapes. That was always my criticism of him—he’s just too skilled a player. During the same conversation, Doull said, “I said a thousand wonderful things about Virat Kohli, but I say one thing that can be marginally negative or interpreted as negative, and I receive death threats.
Given that they frequently chat before or after games, Doull went on to imply that he has nothing personal against Kohli. It isn’t ever intimate. “Our discussions have been excellent. He and I have spoken after games and during throws, and there has never been a problem. When I spoke with Babar following the game, I stated the exact same thing. The coach had stated the same thing to him, he also informed me “, he said.
Karthik denounced Doull’s death threats and urged Indian fans to distinguish between constructive criticism and personal jabs.
