‘IPL contract nahi milega tab bhi’- Fans react to Kusal Mendis’ clarification on old remark on Virat Kohli’s 49th ODI century

Kusal Mendis, who captained Sri Lanka for the majority of the 2023 World Cup, has offered clarification regarding his controversial statement on Virat Kohli’s 49th ODI century.

In a pre-match press conference ahead of the game between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Mendis was asked to comment on Virat Kohli’s 49th ODI century which he had scored the previous night against South Africa. The question was deemed bizarre by many as it was unrelated to the match at hand. The journalist in question then asked Mendis if he would like to congratulate the legendary Indian batter.

“Why would I congratulate him?”, Mendis replied, a response which garnered mixed reactions. Mendis’ response was interpreted in different ways. Some believed that his response was a reflection of his lack of respect for a superstar of the game, while others felt that it was a reaction to the journalist’s poor questioning. Even if the latter was true, many opined that Mendis could have been gracious enough to acknowledge Kohli’s massive achievement instead of responding rudely and disrespectfully.

‘During the press conference, I wasn’t aware that Kohli scored his 49th Hundred’ – Kusal Mendis

Now, in his clarification, Mendis has said that he wasn’t aware of the fact that Kohli had scored his 49th ton and equalized the great Sachin Tendulkar. He also acknowledged the fact that what he had earlier said was wrong. “During the press conference, I wasn’t aware that Kohli scored his 49th Hundred when the journalist suddenly asked, I didn’t know what to say & I didn’t understand the question as well – scoring 49 hundreds is not easy – what I said was wrong, I am feeling for it,” Mendis was quoted as saying by Asian Mirror.

Kusal Mendis’ recent apology for his remarks about Virat Kohli has failed to appease some critics who believe that his statement is merely an attempt to avoid further backlash, particularly from Kohli’s fan base. They maintain that Mendis’ initial comments, which downplayed Kohli’s achievement, were disrespectful and lacked the humility expected of a professional cricketer. Others argue that his apology is genuine and that his initial remarks were misconstrued.

Here, we look at how ‘X’ reacted to Kusal’s latest revelation:

https://twitter.com/WaqasJrh/status/1723611487636209665

https://twitter.com/MrsRajalaxmi/status/1723611760123601371

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