New Delhi, July 29: Essex Cricket County is facing flak over social media for its tweet over India captain and batting mainstay, Virat Kohli, during the county side's match against India.
The official handle of the cricketing side on Day 1 of the warm-up match congratulated the India skipper, after the right-handed batsman warmed up nicely with a fifty, and wrote,"This guy's not bad at cricket... 50 up for @imVkohli off 67 balls!"
This guy’s not bad at cricket...
— Essex Cricket (@EssexCricket) July 25, 2018
50 up for @imVkohli off 67 balls! 👌#ESSvIND pic.twitter.com/CS6ObCNweT
Several Kohli fans seemed offended with the tweet of the county side for it undermined his batting capability. Kohli hasn't scored too many runs on English soil in the longer format of the game and this could be a reason for the Twitter handle to tweet in such manner which many found humiliating.
He will score atleast 3 centuries this summer to shut the mouth of people like you !!
— Gaurav Kalra (@daredevilgaurav) July 25, 2018
'Not bad'??? @EssexCricket Were you drunk when you tweeted this?? Guess, you remember England (the inventor of the game) is yet to win a ODI WC.. Perhaps you should know you have nt yet qualified to be even called 'Not Bad'..
— Ashok Sridharan (@ImS_Ashok) July 28, 2018
Barmy Army, England's popular fan club, had awarded Kohli the International Cricketer of the Year Award for years 2017 and 2018.
The India skipper was presented two trophies by Andy Thompson, Barmy Army Tour Manager and Membership Secretary, on Wednesday (July 25).
The English County side got an opportunity to play a tour game against No. 1 ranked Test side, India in a three-day encounter between July 25 and 27.
The County side was, however, denied an opportunity to get the match the first-class status after Team India reduced it to a three-day affair instead of the four-day game, planned earlier.
In the qualification period from 21 September 2016 to the end of 2017, India's captain scored 2,203 Test runs at an average of 77.80 including eight centuries, 1,818 ODI runs at 82.63 including seven centuries, and 299 T20I runs at a strike rate of 153.
He also captained his country with distinction, with India flying high at the top of the ICC Test rankings. It was Kohli's second gong at the 2017 ICC Awards, with the 29-year-old also being named the ODI Player of the Year.