Published 17:50 IST, January 22nd 2020

Steve Smith hails Virat Kohli's 'lovely gesture' during World Cup, lionizes his skills

Australia run-machine Steve Smith spilled the beans on the incident in the World Cup where Virat Kohli urged the crowd to cheer for Smith as he made a comeback

Reported by: Koushik Narayanan
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Australia run-machine Steve Smith spilled beans on incident in World Cup where Virat Kohli urged crowd to cheer for Australian who was making a comeback from ban. former Australian skipper, who had been banned for a year for being involved in Sandpaper Gate scandal, was receiving boos from hostile English crowd during World Cup game against India. Virat Kohli, who was on field at that moment, asked crowd to cheer for Steve Smith rar than booing him down, an act that won Indian skipper Spirit of Cricket award for 2019. 

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Steve Smith spills beans on Virat Kohli's gesture

Speaking to a news ncy, Steve Smith revealed that it was very nice of Virat Kohli to make such a gesture and that he did t have to really do it. Steve Smith went on to heap praise on skipper Virat Kohli's ability with bat and as a captain, predicting that Kohli was bound to break more records, as many as he had already broken and across all formats of game. Smith jokingly hoped that Virat Kohli stop his phemenal form against Australia so that it would be 'nice'   

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Surprised at winning 'Spirit of Cricket': Kohli 

"I'm surprised that I have got it, after many years of being under scanner for wrong things," Kohli said in a statement issued by ICC.

Explaining his reasons for backing Smith way he did, Kohli added, "That moment was purely understanding an individua's situation. I don't think a guy who is coming out of a situation like that needs to be taken advant of." passionate Kohli, who was once fined 50 percent of his match fees after he was seen showing middle finger to crowd as a reaction to some hostility from fans, is strictly against booing.

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"That should t be a representation of our fans and what we stand as a cricketing nation, a sporting nation.  "We need to all take responsibility towards that. Intimidate opposition, definitely try and have an upper hand but in a matter that is t targeting someone emotionally.  "That is t acceptable at any level and people should be wary of that."

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17:50 IST, January 22nd 2020