The incident at Melbourne airport has cast a shadow over India's tour of Australia, with accusations of bullying levelled against Virat Kohli.
Kohli has consistently urged Indian paparazzi not to take photographs of his children, a rule widely respected back home. However, in Australia, celebrities are not afforded such privacy, as there are no restrictions on filming or photographing public figures in public spaces.
Upon arriving at Melbourne airport, a Channel 7 journalist recorded Kohli and his family, prompting the 36 year old to confront her. Kohli reportedly asked her to delete or take down the images and videos of his family but allowed her to retain any footage or pictures of him alone.
While the matter seemed to be resolved without escalation, the encounter left a lasting impression, sparking a fiery critique from the Australian media.
Nine Sports reporter Tony Jones launched a sharp rebuke of Kohli on Sunday, accusing the cricketer of intimidating Channel 7 journalist Nat Yoannidis. Jones didn't hold back in his assessment, 'Nat was out there with a cameraman, a Channel 7 reporter was out there with his cameraman, and they were doing what we do on a daily basis essentially, and that's be at the airport to actually get identities, whether they're politicians, whether they're sporting identities or whatever,' Jones said.
'He took umbrage, he being Virat Kohli, to the fact the cameras were focused on him.'
'Well duh! You're a batting superstar, you're a global superstar in the world of cricket, and he takes umbrage to the fact that the attention is focused on him.'
'What really got my back up when I saw the footage was that he turned around to the three blokes, the two cameramen and the reporter from Channel 7, and said, 'You guys are OK, it's her.'
'Really? Big tough man, Virat.'
'And then he stood over this girl, Nat Yoannidis, who's about five foot one, five foot two, and just absolutely berated her.'
'You're nothing but a bully, Virat.'
As the series remains locked at 1-1, such off-field controversies are adding pressure to an already intense competition.
