Gambhir for Kohli was a rival, not a Delhi or India team mate. But when Mumbai treated him like a rival, he sulked. He should have known better.
Captain’s favourite, a certified pan-India youth icon, darling of the corporate world ? Virat Kohli isn’t used to being hated. So when the Wankhede crowd booed him, his heart broke. ?Cheater, cheater,? they shouted, referring to the Bangalore skipper?s run-out appeal after a contentious push-shove incident. It resulted in the rather unfair dismissal of Mumbai?s Ambati Rayudu.
In the tone of a four-year-old, the 24-year-old losing captain spoke about his hurt. ?I don?t know why they get so worked up during IPL,? was his primary complaint. While wearing the red and golden, he added that the Mumbai fans need to see the India blue deep inside him.
The chants from the terraces might have disturbed the young man but the same catcalls, at the end of the RCB-MI game, might have reduced the IPL?s founding fathers to tears, the kind shed when a long-cherished dream finally comes true.
English Premier League was the handy stencil when IPL was put on the drawing board. The format was easy to copy but not the die-hard fan loyalty that sharply divided the followers of globally popular football league.
Actually, IPL?s salary caps and periodic auctions had a role to play in limiting the team-supporter relationship. But still the owners did their best to engage the fans. Merchandise, forced attempts to float fan forums, anthems, mascots, flags; they attempted every trick in the marketing book. But still they didn?t make much headway.
Others stake holders too did their bit. Television experts, sitting next to two sets of dancing cheer leaders wearing colours of rival teams, took sides and indulged in mock fights. Broadcasters leaned on geographical proximity or Ranji history, whichever suited them, to hype mundane matches as derbies.
Players played it hard too. They sledged their rivals and at times insitigated home fans to shout for them. All stake-holders working towards dividing the Team India fans. Of course in a healthy way. At Wankhede on Saturday, things fell in place. Not just loyals franchise fans, IPL, like EPL, got hooligans too.
Kohli missed the point and had a ?pot to kettle? kind of hypocritical exchange with the MI fans. Gambhir for him was a rival, not a Delhi or India team mate. But when Mumbai treated him like a rival, he sulked. Wankhede, in the past, had booed Tendulkar, that too while he wore India whites. Kohli should have known better. Don?t know why they get so worked up during IPL.
Sandeep is the National Sports Editor, based in New Delhi and can be reached at sandeep.dwivedi@expressindia.com