The comment understandably is followed by Kohli bursting into laughter, probably because he knew the follow-up question would be around his aggressive, never-step-back approach and ‘verbal volleys’ while on the field.
“Mai kabhi ladai-vadai nahi karta kisi se, physical to chance hi nahi. Koi mujhe maar ke nikal jayega (I don’t fight, never physically, somebody can hit me and leave),” Kohli said.
And when the former India captain was dropped a hint that his comment was contrary to his aggressive body language and verbal altercations on the field, he smiled and said: “Muh se kuchh bhi bulva lo, but mai physical ladai nahi karta (I can say things verbally but never get involved in a physical fight)”
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Kohli added: “Even that (aggression) I do on the ground because I know it won’t lead to a fight as the umpires would intervene.”
Of late, Kohli’s infamous on-field altercations with Gautam Gambhir returned to hog the limelight when the latter was announced as India’s new head coach replacing Rahul Dravid, whose tenure ended after the T20 World Cup in June.
Kohli and Gambhir had been eye to eye more than once and as recent as the 2023 IPL season when the Royal Challengers Bengaluru icon Kohli had an angry face-off with Gambhir, who was mentoring Lucknow Super Giants at that time.
However, both have said that they have moved on from those differences. The duo, part of the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning team, reunited in the Indian dressing room for the ongoing ODI leg of the tour of Sri Lanka.