Was the King ‘Out’ of Line ?

Watching IPL cricket many fans felt aggrieved when Virat was given out to what some experts opined was not a legal delivery & ‘above waist’,  thereby affecting RCB chances of a badly needed win against KKR ! In that moment of extreme aggravation, desperate for team’s cause, King Kohli lost his cool and did the unbecoming act of animatedly arguing with on-field Umpires !

In a glorious career that’s smashed batting records built on immense talent and undying passion to always excel, Virat has been an inspiring role model for many aspiring and established players. As ‘Big Daddy’ of Indian Cricket, he’s found mentoring players of other teams, lending prized bats to Rinku of KKR and urging Mumbai crowds not boo Hardik during his IPL games.

Yet being tempestuous he simply wades into all sorts of controversies. His big row with BCCI bosses over ‘Captaincy’ issues is still fodder for reporters hungry for scandals ! In IPL ‘23, he got into a massive on-field altercation with Gautam Gambhir, another Delhi boy known for belligerence & made headlines but come this year’s IPL, they’ve hugged & made up. Many of his critics have asked if ‘the King and his super-ego are bigger than the game’.

For his latest ‘Code of Conduct’ breach he’s been docked 50% of his match fees. That’s a ‘token’ fine for such a super-biggie, but no player (or person), however tall in stature and following, should get away with anything that’s sets a bad precedent and must be penalized. While we find in ‘sports’ there  is an effort at fair play and of adhering to rules, sadly in other walks of life, we often see those ‘who’re calling the shots’ and are in positions of power and authority, not being held accountable but the strong arm of due process  well applied to the less entitled people.

It’s all the more essential for demi-gods with ‘iconic’ status through public adulation and as role models emulated by fans who are a legion that span generations all across the globe in today’s digital world. Legends and cult heroes cannot have ‘feet of clay’ when they’re supposed to stand up against wrong-doings and set high ethical standards for lesser mortals to follow !