“You are nothing but a bully” - Australian reporter brutally attacks Virat Kohli over airport confrontation ahead of BGT 2024-25 4th Test

Ahead of the fourth Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 Test in Melbourne, Virat Kohli was involved in a controversial incident at the Melbourne airport when he arrived with his wife Anushka Sharma and their children. After Kohli confronted a local journalist for taking pictures without asking, another senior journalist criticized the player.

Tony Jones, a reporter from 9 Sports, has accused the former India skipper of intimidating the journalist at the airport after the media faced severe backlash.

“Nat was out there with a cameraman, a Channel 7 reporter was out there with his cameraman and they were doing what we do on a daily basis essentially, and that’s be at the airport to actually get identities, whether they’re politicians, whether they’re sporting identities or whatever," Jones said (via News18).

He added that Virat Kohli is a star identity and attacked him for taking offense at being focused on by the cameras. He further criticized Kohli for getting into an argument with the female reporter at the airport.

“Well, duh! You’re a batting superstar, you’re a global superstar in the world of cricket, and he takes umbrage to the fact that the attention is focused on him.What really got my back up when I saw the footage was that he turned around to the three blokes, the two cameramen and the reporter from Channel 7, and said you guys are OK, it’s her," Tony said.

He went to the extent of calling Virat Kohli a 'bully' for his behavior with the reporter at the Melbourne airport.

“And then he stood over this girl, Nat Yoannidis, who’s about five foot one, five foot two, and just absolutely berated her. You’re nothing but a bully, Virat," Tony added.

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What was the incident Virat Kohli was involved in?

The fourth BGT 2024-25 Test will be played in Melbourne, for which Virat Kohli arrived at the Melbourne airport recently with his family.

The Australian media present at the airport shifted their focus towards him. Virat asked for privacy as he was with his family, particularly his children, and did not like being filmed without permission.

The Australian media later clarified that they were interviewing Scott Boland and happened to turn their cameras when Virat arrived (it all being a misunderstanding). However, it did not go down well with the former Indian skipper at the airport, as he was seen in an argument with an Australian reporter over being filmed without his permission.