Indian star Virat Kohli, who recently arrived in Sri Lanka for an ODI series, was visibly upset when a fan called him “Chokli” during a practice session.
This incident occurred just before his first match since the T20 World Cup final. Kohli was intensely focused on his shadow practice in a room filled with teammates when a fan started chanting “Chokli, Chokli.”
The derogatory term immediately caught Kohli’s attention, and he turned towards the fan. Judging by the look in his eyes, Kohli was clearly not happy.
‘Chokli’ is a slang term used by trolls on social media, combining Kohli’s surname with ‘choking.’ This term suggests that Kohli fails to perform in crucial knockout matches for India.
The nickname first surfaced after India’s elimination from the 2019 World Cup, where Kohli was dismissed for just 1 run.
It was the third time Kohli had been dismissed for 1 in an ICC knockout game, following similar scores in the 2015 World Cup semi-final against Australia and the 2017 Champions Trophy final against Pakistan.
Reacting to the taunt, Kohli sternly responded, saying, “Not here.”
It is worth noting that after a successful T20 World Cup, India is set to play a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.
The first ODI is scheduled for August 2, followed by the next two matches on August 4 and August 7.
