In the Wake of the Chinnaswamy Stadium Tragedy has Virat Kohli Become a Convenient Scapegoat?

Virat Kohli’s Moment of Glory Overshadowed by Stadium Tragedy

One of the most iconic names in contemporary cricket is Virat Kohli. We are so prone to betray our heroes. How much we love raising them with such care only to lower them at the first hint of apparent indifference.

We betray our heroes so easily. How fervently we relish the process of meticulously elevating them only to bring them down at the first sign of apparent indifference. 

There is no exaggeration when it is said that Virat Kohli has the most ardent and devoted fan base in the entire cricket world. Millions are captivated by the cricketing persona of India’s former captain who is undoubtedly a crowd-puller. He has produced epic after epic with astounding regularity carrying the wishes, prayers and hopes of vast segments of society and rarely disappointing them.

The Long-Awaited Triumph

The cherry on top should have been winning his first IPL championship with Royal Challengers Bengaluru on his eighteenth try. Aside from the World Test Championship trophy which will never be his, the only conspicuous item missing from his stuffed cabinet of trophies was the emblem of IPL dominance. Four nights back in Ahmedabad that anomaly was rectified. As one might anticipate, Kohli was the engine room behind the RCBs charge finishing the tournament as the third-highest run scorer. He did this with style and flair and a healthy strike-rate which hadn’t always been his strongest ally. 

Jubilation Across Bengaluru

RCB supporters around the world were in a state of ecstasy after the team defeated Punjab Kings by six runs on Tuesday night. In Bengaluru spontaneous street parties started and continued well into Wednesday morning. Naturally, Kohli was the toast since over the course of 17 years he had made sure that the fan base increased in direct proportion to RCBs on-field achievements. When the tape was finally released he and the ardent supporters of RCB felt vindicated. 

Social Media Turns Hostile

These days Kohli is mostly the target of hate speech and disgusting criticism on social media. Due to its relative anonymity social media is becoming a more caustic and nasty place allowing keyboard warriors to spew hate without worrying about retaliation or retribution. Following the terrible incident outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday night which quickly turned from a celebration to a mourning one, Kohli has come under fire in some places for continuing the festivities on the RCB home field despite being insensitive to the events outside the stadium. 

Read More : Virat Kohli ‘Gutted’ as Stampede Kills 11 During RCB’s IPL Victory Celebration in Bengaluru

The Complexity of Tragedy Responses

There is no standard response to disasters and nobody has the right to expect others to act in a way that aligns with our preferences. One can say with some degree of confidence that no one who did not experience that – and we are sincerely thankful that so many did not – can truly understand the mounting panic the pounding heart the adrenaline rush and the self-preservation mode that the subconscious transitions into after being caught in the middle of much of the jostling and shoving outside the venue as early as 3 pm. 

Questionable Timing, But Misplaced Blame

Although the clumsy haste with which the celebrations were organized in Bengaluru on Wednesday night just over 15 hours after the title was won in Ahmedabad may have been caused in part by Kohli he was by no means to blame. Due to the talismans imminent departure to London those who saw an opportunity to profit from being in charge of organizing the show showed little respect for protocol and police advice prioritizing their own interests over safety and security measures that would have undoubtedly been in place had the police apparatus had more time to plan and organize an event that would have drawn tens of thousands of RCB fans who were thrilled that their long wait was finally over.

Read More : Preity Zinta Heartbroken as PBKS Lost IPL Final After 18 Years of Waiting

More Unrest Would have Resulted from Calling it Off

Even after the stampede outside brutally claimed 11 lives (as later revelations confirmed), Kohli has come under fire for leading the celebrations inside the stadium. However anyone who observed the proceedings would have seen right away that he was just acting. There was no excitement, no obvious displays of joy and no crowd-control which are all hallmarks of Kohli. The argument that the entire stadium show should have been canceled ignored the fact that the 35000 people inside were mostly oblivious to the catastrophe outside. Removing the show would probably have caused more agitation and possibly unbridled rage. People in the stands were not yet aware of the unimaginable tragedy because telephone networks were blocked either intentionally or unintentionally. 

A Hero in a No-Win Situation

Kohli did what he had to do in a tough situation without going too far. No one is credited when salvos are fired at him for alleged indifference. Even though there were numerous obvious mistakes that led to the preventable disaster, Kohli should not be held solely responsible.

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