Virat Kohli trolled for ignoring physically challenged boy seeking selfie; call out rude behaviour

Star batter Virat Kohli and his actor-wife Anushka Sharma drew widespread attention after they skipped meeting football icon Lionel Messi, who was on his GOAT tour in India along with two teammates.

While several celebrities lined up to meet Messi, Virat and Anushka chose a spiritual path and visited Premanand Ji Maharaj in Vrindavan. Photos and videos of the couple from the visit soon went viral on social media.

'What is the point of visiting Premanand Ji?'

A few hours later, the couple was seen returning to Mumbai from Delhi and was photographed by paparazzi at the airport. As they made their way to their car amid a crowd of fans and photographers, a physically challenged boy approached Virat for a selfie.

However, in a video that has since gone viral on Instagram and X, one of Virat's security personnel is seen pulling the boy away, and Virat ignores how his security personnel manhandled the boy, and he calmly enters the car without stopping his security.

The clip sparked intense debate online, with netizens sharply divided over celebrity boundaries, public conduct, and basic courtesy.

Many users accused Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma of being 'insensitive and arrogant', particularly because the request came from a physically challenged person.

One user wrote, "See how @cristiano behaves with disabled people.."

For the unversed, Cristiano Ronaldo is often praised for his interactions with fans.

Another comment read, "Ek pic bhi de deta bande ko.." ( He could have given one photo).

Several users even questioned Virat Kohli's humility despite his public image of spirituality.

A user wrote, "Ghamand toh Ravan jaise gyani aur Shiv bhakt ko bhi le dubara... cricket apni jagah aur insaniyat apni jagah.." ("Even Ravana, a great scholar and a devoted follower of Lord Shiva, was destroyed by pride. Cricket has its place, but humanity comes first..)

The next one wrote, "Go for spiritual trips but behave badly with someone who's handicapped."

Another said, "Disgusting behaviour... so much for being spiritual and vinamra."

The third one said, "Shameful behaviour by these two arrogant pricks... who the hell even cares about Anushka Sharma. If she weren't married to Virat, nobody would give a damn."

For context, last year, actor Nagarjuna was criticised after he appeared to ignore a physically challenged boy who ran towards him for a selfie. However, the following day, Nagarjuna met the boy and also posed for photographs with him.

So far, neither Virat Kohli nor Anushka Sharma has issued a statement addressing the incident or the backlash that followed.