We are finally getting to hear Virat Kohli's reaction to the comments from former India cricketer Farokh Engineer wherein the latter claimed that Indian selectors were serving tea to Anushka Sharma during World Cup matches earlier this year.
In a television interview, Kohli, when asked about the whole episode said that his wife is, by nature, not inclined to get involved in cricket-related issues and even confirmed that, at no stage, was she seated in an area where selectors were.
"Look, she came for one World Cup game – against Sri Lanka – and the family box and selectors box were different. And there was no selector in that (family) box. She came for one World Cup game with two friends of hers and there were no selectors there," Kohli told India Today.
He also waxed eloquent about his wife's aversion to take any benefits accruing to her due to the position of her husband.
"When these things (stories) come out, of protocols not being followed, and rules being broken, it is not in her nature to do something like that, because she understands my profession and I understand her profession and either of us don't interfere in it.
"The value system she has, and her beliefs, and nature she has, it won't allow her to go against rules or go against protocols."
The Indian captain further added: "I don't know why people have wanted to sensationalize stories by taking her name. (Maybe) because she is a soft target, because she is known. After a while, we had been ignoring it (the stories pertaining to her) for a while."
The controversy Virat is alluding to came up when former Indian Test cricketer Farokh Engineer criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for having selectors devoid of major accomplishments in their career.
As part of his criticisim, Engineer, a wicketkeeper-batsman in his day, said that Indian selectors were bringing tea for Anushka Sharma during the World Cup earlier this year. He later apologized for his comments and said that the controversial part of his statement was made in a jocular vein.
While Kohli has spoken out now, an indignant response from Anushka had been issued soon after this controversy erupted. The Bollywood actor strongly upbraided Engineer for dragging her name into his comments. Since then, the matter seems to have died down. Kohli didn't himself bring up the issue but merely responded when the anchor decided to probe Kohli about it.
