Virat Kohli supporters slammed after targeting Railways bowler Himanshu Sangwan: 'Clown behaviour'

Virat Kohli’s fans, at least the more passionate ones, have been quite active ever since their idol fell for yet another low score, this time in the ongoing season of the Ranji Trophy. The Indian batting great made his first appearance in domestic cricket after more than 12 years during Delhi’s final Group D match against Railways. And his participation in the match resulted in New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium witnessing a massive turnout , one that is rare for a domestic match in India, even if it is the prestigious Ranji Trophy.

On Friday, Kohli’s poor form with the bat continued as he was cleaned up by seamer Himanshu Sangwan for 6 , the packed and noisy stadium suddenly falling silent after watching his stump go for a cartwheel. Fans who had turned up in large numbers hoping to see the former India captain produce a big knock, possibly a century, lost interest in the remainder of the day’s play and began to leave the venue.

Also Read | Meet Himanshu Sangwan, the Virat Kohli-conqueror who silenced Arun Jaitley Stadium

The online trolls who call themselves Kohli fans, however, started sharpening their knives soon as the 36-year-old – who has just two fifty-plus scores to his name since September – was dismissed. What rattled them even further was the passionate manner in which Sangwan had celebrated after getting rid of one of the greatest Indian batters of all time.

The trolls took attempted to bombard him with abuses and threats on social media, but ended up targeting several other uses named ‘Himanshu Sangwan’ instead of the bowler, who would later reveal that he keeps his Instagram account private.

It certainly is not the first time Indian cricket fans have vented their frustration on players performing well against the Men in Blue or their favourite IPL team, or even their favourite player. Australian batter Travis Head and his wife Jessica certainly know a thing or two about being subjected to trolling, with the former having been a consistent performer against India in several high-profile matches and series’ in the last couple of years.

Several other netizens, however, have since slammed these fans, calling them out for their toxicity and for targeting someone who could be a match-winner for the nation down the road.

Here are some of the reactions from X users criticising Kohli’s fans: