On August 15, 2023, one of India’s most legendary cricket champions, Virat Kohli, slammed the Times of India for publishing fake news regarding the development of building a cricket pitch inside his farmhouse in Alibaug, Maharashtra.
The ace cricketer shared a screenshot of the news report by the TOI (Times of India) on his Instagram story and captioned it, “Bachpan se jo akbaar padha hai, wo bhi fake news chaapne lage ab.” This literally means that (the newspaper which I read since childhood has also started publishing fake news.)
The reason behind Kohli’s reaction
The response came after the Times of India, on August 15, 2023, published a report with claims that the former India captain was keen to have a cricket pitch inside his farmhouse. The report published on August 15, 2023, was headlined: Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli to build a cricket pitch at the Alibaug farmhouse: Report. The media house posted the same on the social media networking site handle Twitter (now known as X).
Details of the Property
Reportedly, Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma purchased eight acres of land in Alibaug, a coastal town near Mumbai, which cost them Rs 19.24 crore. Now according to reports, after obtaining all necessary conditions and permissions from the local bodies, the construction work has kick-started, and the project is in full swing.
The couple recently visited their property on Alibaug to check on the details of the construction of the farmhouse. According to media reports, this is the second property purchased by the cricketer in Alibaug. Prior to this, the veteran batter of the Indian team had paid a stamp duty of Rs 36 lakh for the transaction of the 2000sq ft villa in Alibaug that cost him six crores.
Previous incidents
Notably, Virat Kohli is very active and vocal on social media. Last year, on October 31, Virat and his wife Anushka Sharma shared on the social media app Instagram that a video was leaked and expressed disappointment over the matter as he wrote.
“I understand that fans get very happy and excited seeing their favourite players and get excited to meet them, and I have always appreciated that. But this video was appalling, and it made me feel very paranoid about my privacy in my own hotel room, then where can I really expect any personal space at all? I am not okay with this type of fanaticism and the absolute invasion of privacy. Please respect people’s privacy and not make them a commodity for entertainment.”
This is not the first time Kohli has taken to social media for certain issues. There were reports about Kohli’s earning money through social media. He claimed to earn a staggering Rs 114 crore for a single sponsored post on Instagram. These reports were refuted by Kohli himself, who took to Twitter to clarify the news that these reports were false.
Virat Kohli was last spotted playing during the West Indies tour when he participated in two Test matches and one ODI (One Day International). In Trinidad’s second test match against West Indies, the ace player broke his streak of overseas centuries, Kohli played the first ODI in the Caribbean as well but did not come out to bat during the match.
Upcoming Tournaments
At present, Virat Kohli is gearing up to represent India in the forthcoming Asia Cup 2023 edition, to be held jointly by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. India will open their campaign versus arch-rival Pakistan on September 02 in Pallekele. They are placed in Group A with Pakistan and Nepal and meet the Men in Green again in the Super Four.
