“Its become a game of lot more mutual respect and admiration” – Virat Kohli reckons that the IPL has helped to tone down the nasty sledging between India and Australia

Fans in Bengaluru will see their favourite players in action after three long years, as the 16th season of the IPL begins in just a few days, and they were chanting “RCB, RCB” with full vigour and passion a couple of days ago at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The noise of the packed stadium rose to a deafening crescendo as legends Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, and AB de Villiers were on the field for the whole day’s practice.

The supporters’ enthusiasm was plain to see. The franchise’s ever-loyal followers have been there for them during the long wait for their first IPL championship.

Nonetheless, the brand and notably its aforementioned great players have ensured that fans are engaged year after year via various means, including events, displays of player camaraderie, and interaction videos shared through their social media accounts.

Just one week before the current IPL season began, de Villiers had a unique engagement with Kohli through his YouTube channel, during which the latter opened up about a wide range of issues.

What did Virat Kohli say?

The aforementioned conversation occurred a few days ago, before India and Australia’s third ODI when the series was tied 1-1. Kohli was asked by De Villiers who he thought was the “nastiest” Australian player at the moment.

The former Indian captain believes that the IPL has led to more mutual respect and affection among players over the years, even though the competitive attitude of the players from both the Indian and Australian teams has not changed.

Hence, although the intensity of the fight stays the same, the players on both sides, particularly the seasoned ones, have begun feeling much more appreciative of the opportunity to compete against each other over such a long period of time.

Kohli stated, “The verbals and the sledging bit of it is not nasty anymore. Its become a game of lot more mutual respect and admiration. They (Australians) are as intense while playing, but the stuff which was too intense, the tension between the two teams has significantly gone down.”

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