Former England skipper Michael Atherton hailed Indian captain Virat Kohli’s leadership during the ongoing 2021 T20 World Cup in UAE. Atherton was full of praise for Kohli’s passionate public defense of pacer Mohammed Shami, who was subject to online abuse after India’s defeat to Pakistan. 

Prior to India’s second game in the tournament against New Zealand, Kohli hit out at ‘spineless trolls’ for the online attack on Shami in a pre-match press conference. The ongoing event is Kohli’s last assignment as T20I captain of the Indian team. 

In a column for the Times, Atherton wrote, “It has been a difficult tournament for Kohli, whose every move, as captain of a team who carry far greater expectation than any other, is scrutinised and analysed.”

“If Kohli lifts an eyebrow, an army of Indian journalists will decode its significance, so when he defended his opening bowler Mohammed Shami, a Muslim, after his team’s loss to Pakistan, he knew his words would carry weight,” he added. 

Atherton hailed Kohli for defending Shami despite knowing he is going to face backlash for his words. 

“Kohli did not prevaricate. Before his team’s next match against New Zealand last Sunday, and ignoring the usual pre-match protocols to talk only of cricket, Kohli defended his seam bowler’s right to religious freedom, despite knowing that there was likely to be a backlash against him,” said Atherton. 

India have had a hard tournament on the field after facing humiliating defeats in both of their first two games against Pakistan and New Zealand. While they bounced back in style with comprehensive victories against Afghanistan and Scotland, their destiny is still not in their hands. 

Kohli’s men need Afghanistan to beat New Zealand to have any chance of making the semi-final. If things work out in their favour, a victory over Namibia is likely to guarantee a spot in the knockout rounds.