Rohit Sharma-led India are all set to take on New Zealand in the semi-final of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 15. However, ahead of the scheduled match on Wednesday, the broadcaster – Star Sports – has come under a lot of criticism from social media users.
A preview poster released by Star Sports for the upcoming clash of titans showed Kiwi captain Kane Williamson and veteran Indian batsman Virat Kohli standing side by side with the details of the match below.
Netizens reacted strongly to the preview poster, criticising broadcasters for ignoring India skipper Rohit Sharma. Rohit has led India brilliantly throughout this World Cup, contributing not only with the bat but also with the captaincy, leading the Men in Blue to the top of the World Cup points table and winning all 9 matches so far.
Virat Kohli, on the other hand, is currently the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 594 runs to his name at a strike rate of 88.52 and an average of 99.
Virat vs Rohit battle all over again:
Following the broadcasters’ highly charged poster, netizens started comparing the statistics of the two Indian legends. Many on social media alluded to Rohit’s mind-boggling stats in the current and previous editions of the World Cup to position him as a better batsman than Kohli. Meanwhile, others alluded to a statement made by former cricketer Gautam Gambhir about broadcasters being relegated to the role of PR in the modern era.
In an earlier interaction with a TV channel, Gambhir could be heard saying, “If you score a fifty, I score a fifty, and the broadcaster are only showing me, then that other player will be called an underrated player. Who makes a player underrated? It is fans, broadcasters, and experts that make it. We are not winning ICC events for a long time because we are obsessed with individual records rather than the team,”