Virat Kohli Is An Amazing Character, We Need People Like Him. I Love It: Michael Vaughan Defends India Captain’s Trumpet Gesture

Former England captain Michael Vaughan called people who are criticizing India captain Virat Kohli’s actions during the visitors’ Test win in the fourth match at the Oval, are pure boring and that he loved the way Kohli egged the spectators on.

The cricket world was divided over Virat Kohli’s gesture of trumpet towards the Barmy Army on Day 5 of the fourth Test. Some called it classless, while others supported Kohli and saw it as giving it back to the England supporters who were heckling Indian fans and the team.

Twice did Kohli bring out the trumpet celebration – when Ravindra Jadeja bowled Haseeb Hameed and when Jasprit Bumrah knocked over Jonny Bairstow for a duck – and although nothing is concrete, the gesture is believed to be a shot taken at England’s Barmy Army.

Virat Kohli Got This Incredible Buzz Of Energy. I Love It: Michael Vaughan

Many supporters of the England team and Barmy Army fans found Virat Kohli’s gestures in not good spirit, but Michael Vaughan called Kohli an energetic bloke on the field and said that cricket needed characters like him.

“Virat Kohli is an incredible leader. You know, he’s got this incredible buzz of energy. He was taking a shot at the Barmy Army with his trumpet signs to the stands. I love it. I just think we don’t have enough characters in the game and when we have someone like Virat Kohli doing just that… just kind of mimicking the crowd… trying to get his own supporters going,” Vaughan told Fox Cricket.

“When he came out after lunch, he was getting them going… it was like he was at the end of the long jump there in the Olympics trying to get the crowd going. He’s an amazing character. He gave a tactical masterclass on how to win a Test match,” he added.

Michael Vaughan Calls People Who Found Virat Kohli’s Gesture Offensive ‘Boring’

Vaughan was not happy with people getting offended by Virat Kohli’s actions and said that cricket needed characters like Kohli to keep the game interesting. He also pointed out that people like Kohli come once in a while. The last real character Vaughan could think of is his commentary partner and former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne and explains there is no harm in Kohli being Kohli every once in a while.

“Those who are complaining are just boring. They don’t understand entertainment. We’re in an entertainment industry where we need people like Kohli. We need characters. You go back to the 80s and 90s, there were characters and we worked with them. Shane Warne one of the great characters… absolute great; as mad as a box of frogs but you just know that you have a great character on the commentary box, on the field,” the former England captain said.

“When you get someone like Virat Kohli who stands out because we are in an era where we don’t have a lot of characters. He’s very prickly, he doesn’t like criticism. He’s always answering back to anyone who is criticizing. Again, I like that. What he is doing with this Indian Test team is fantastic,” Vaughan signed off.

India and England will clash in the fifth and final Test from September 10 at the Old Trafford ground in Manchester.

Also Read: England vs India 2021: Nasser Hussain Feels Virat Kohli Proved He Was Right In The Non-Selection Of Ravichandran Ashwin