'Don’t tell us how to play': Virat Kohli vs Rahul Dravid clash in World Cup 2023 Final exposed

Explosive details from the ICC World Cup 2023 Final between India and Australia have leaked, involving then-head coach Rahul Dravid and star batter Virat Kohli, but KL Rahul ended up becoming the villain of the loss at the packed Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

India got off to a good start thanks to captain Rohit Sharma’s quick 47 from just 31 balls after Australia invited the hosts to bat first after winning the toss in Ahmedabad. But once Rohit fell, India’s innings slowed down, and the pressure was already sky-high.

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul’s slow batting cost India the World Cup trophy!!

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul were tasked with steadying the innings after early wickets, and they put together a solid partnership to anchor India’s innings. Kohli made 54, and Rahul top-scored with 66, but during a long stretch between the 10th and 38th overs, India could only hit two boundaries.

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That slow innings from Kohli and Rahul hurt India badly, as they ended up posting only 240 runs on the board after being bowled out in the final over. Australia’s chase also slipped to 47 for 3 within the first seven overs. But Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne stitched a brilliant 192-run stand to shatter India’s hopes of winning the title in front of the home crowd.

Head smashed a match-winning knock of 137 runs, while Labuschagne played the perfect supporting role with an unbeaten 58. Head lost his wicket when Australia needed only two runs to win, but Glenn Maxwell finished it off the very next ball. Australia lifted the trophy with a six-wicket win and 42 balls to spare against India.

Don’t tell us how to play: Virat Kohli’s heated reply to Rahul Dravid in ICC World Cup 2023 Final revealed

Now, after two years, a Revsportz journalist claimed that it was not only KL Rahul but also Virat Kohli who was equally responsible for India’s heartbreaking loss in the ICC World Cup 2023 final. His revelations hinted that Kohli and Rahul Dravid were not on the same page, and the latter was doing his own thing.

Midway through India’s innings, Rahul Dravid, as claimed by the journalist, sent a message to KL Rahul and Kohli via a player from the Indian dressing room.

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The message from the Indian dressing room was, “At the speed at which we are playing right now, we are a little slow. We should be a little faster.” This left the batters irritated, and Virat Kohli reportedly fired back with, “Don’t tell us how to play. We know what we’re doing.”

In the 2023 World Cup final, someone from the dressing room sent a message to Virat Kohli to play faster, but he responded, ‘Don’t tell us what to do’.

Shocking if this is true…

pic.twitter.com/evO41g8OWZ

— Rohan💫 (@rohann__45) August 11, 2025

KL Rahul faces heat, Virat Kohli escapes backlash

The comment reportedly reached Rahul Dravid and the support staff, sparking silent tension in the Indian camp. While both Kohli and Rahul were at the crease, it was the Karnataka batter who bore the brunt of the criticism after India’s heartbreaking defeat.

Cricket fans unleashed a storm of abuse, accusing him of batting too slowly and letting the required rate climb. Kohli, despite also scoring at a modest pace, faced far less backlash. However, Rahul took the criticism personally and vowed to work on the flaws in his game.