Australian Media Brands Virat Kohli a 'Bully' for Publicly Scolding Reporter in Airport Dispute

Former India captain Virat Kohli was branded a "bully" by an Australian reporter on Sunday following a recent altercation he had with a female Australian journalist at Melbourne Airport. The incident occurred on Thursday when Kohli, along with his wife Anushka Sharma and their children, arrived in Melbourne for the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. The confrontation, which drew attention due to its public nature, happened shortly after Kohli’s arrival, and has sparked widespread commentary regarding his behavior.

Kohli had notably urged Indian paparazzi against clicking pictures of his son and daughter. However, the rule does not apply in Australia, where celebrities are allowed to be filmed and photographed without any restrictions.

Hence, when Kohli had arrived in Melbourne, a journalist from Australia’s Channel 7 captured a clip of the Indian cricketer with his family, leaving the 36-year-old upset. He then approached the reporter, urging her to delete or take down the images and videos taken of his family, but allowed her to retain any of him alone.

'You’re nothing but a bully, Virat'

Although the matter did not escalate further, Nine sports reporter Tony Jones showed no mercy to Kohli in his scathing attack, where he labelled the India No. 4 as a "bully" and lambasted him for "berating" the Channel 7 reporter at the Melbourne airport.

“Nat was out there with a cameraman, a Channel 7 reporter was out there with his cameraman and they were doing what we do on a daily basis essentially, and that’s be at the airport to actually get identities, whether they’re politicians, whether they’re sporting identities or whatever,” Jones said.

“He took umbrage, he being Virat Kohli, to the fact the cameras were focused on him.

“Well duh! You’re a batting superstar, you’re a global superstar in the world of cricket, and he takes umbrage to the fact that the attention is focused on him.

“What really got my back up when I saw the footage was that he turned around to the three blokes, the two cameramen and the reporter from Channel 7, and said you guys are OK, it’s her.

“Really? Big tough man, Virat.

“And then he stood over this girl, Nat Yoannidis, who’s about five foot one, five foot two, and just absolutely berated her.

“You’re nothing but a bully, Virat.”

The fourth Test match of the series will begin on December 26 with the contest locked at 1-1.

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