Virat Kohli used to sledge a lot: Rubel Hossain
Bangladesh bowler Rubel Hossain opened up on his rivalry with Virat Kohli. The fierce rivalry between him and the Indian skipper started when they faced each other in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. During a Facebook Live session with teammates Tamim Iqbal and Taskin Ahmed, Hossain described how Kohli used to sledge and abuse the bowlers. Here is what he said about Kohli.
Rubel recalls the Under-19 World Cup days
"I have played against Virat Kohli since our U-19 days. So I have had things going on with him from our U-19 days. During the U-19 days, he used to sledge a lot. Now it may not be that much," Rubel said.
Instances when Kohli and Rubel had verbal spats
The first few instances of an altercation between the duo were recorded during the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. Three years later, the two cricketers exchanged a heated moment in the 2011 World Cup opening fixture. Kohli was seen abusing the Bangladesh seamer after defending a ball off him. Moreover, Hossain gave an aggressive send-off when he dismissed Kohli in the 2015 World Cup game.
Hossain recollects the incident from tri-nation series
Hossain reminisced the 2008 tri-nation tournament between India, South Africa and Bangladesh, wherein the Indian captain was constantly sledging the batsmen. "There was a match in South Africa, in a tri-national tournament. He was sledging profusely, abusing the batsman who was coming down. We all know how he was abusive," he stated. India beat Bangladesh by 137 runs in the final.
The duo has come a long way ever since
Virat Kohli was handed his international debut soon after the Under-19 World Cup triumph. He is deemed as one of the greatest batsmen of modern-day cricket, having scored 21,901 international runs. Meanwhile, Rubel Hossain owns 190 wickets from 155 internationals for Bangladesh.
