Three months ago, as India landed in Australia, something strange happened. The Australian media – television, print, radio, etc. – were all gung-ho about Virat Kohli. A superstar had arrived on their shores and in a cricketing summer hampered by the pandemic, he was their saviour.
Thing is, Australian media doesn’t usually take kindly to visiting superstars. Lead batsman – great. Captain as well – even better. Target them; rile them up; all of it before the first ball has been bowled – this is the Australian way. The verbal red carpet laid out for Kohli was unique in every sense of the word. It is not to say Kohli didn’t get a barrage aimed at him. Funnily enough, it came from the Indian corner.
Scroll through the headlines again – Rohit Sharma had just led Mumbai Indians to their fifth IPL title. Kohli fell short with Royal Challengers Bangalore once again. A stormy debate raged from social media, to newspapers, to online analytics, to newsrooms, to…
