Why Do People Hate Virat Kohli? 8 Real Reasons, Including the Latest in 2026

Virat Kohli is one of the most loved cricketers in the world, and also one of the most criticised. Both come from the same place: he is hugely successful, very expressive and impossible to ignore.

Quick answer: most people who "hate" Virat Kohli are reacting to his aggressive on-field personality, the long-running strike-rate debate, his captaincy record without an ICC trophy, fan wars with supporters of Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni, and in 2025-26, his move to London and the backlash after the Bengaluru stampede. Very little of it is about his ability. His record as a batter is among the best the game has seen.

Why do people hate Virat Kohli? The main reasons

1. His aggression rubs some people the wrong way

Early in his career, Kohli was often described as brash. The sledging, the send-offs and the loud celebrations were exactly what his fans loved and what his critics disliked. Some former players openly questioned whether his aggression was genuine or for show. Kohli has calmed down a lot over the years, but the image from his early days has stuck with a section of fans.

2. The strike-rate debate

The most common cricket argument against Kohli is that he scores too slowly in T20 cricket, especially in the middle overs. In IPL 2024, commentators including Sunil Gavaskar criticised his strike rate, and Kohli hit back by saying critics talk "from a box" without knowing the match situation. He finished that season as the top run-scorer.

Former New Zealand player Simon Doull, who had questioned Kohli's strike rate early that season, later said he received death threats over his comments. That episode shows the problem on both sides: fair criticism gets drowned out by abuse from extreme fans.

3. No ICC trophy as captain

Kohli was a highly successful Test captain, but India did not win an ICC trophy during his full-time captaincy. They lost the 2017 Champions Trophy final, the 2019 World Cup semi-final and the 2021 World Test Championship final, and went out early at the 2021 T20 World Cup. For critics, this became the main stick to beat him with, even though he went on to win the 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy as a player.

4. Fan wars: Kohli vs Rohit vs Dhoni

A lot of the "hate" online is not really about Kohli at all. It is fan wars. Supporters of Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni and Kohli often attack the other players to make their own hero look better. The captaincy change from Kohli to Rohit in 2021-22 made this worse. If you have seen the same arguments about Dhoni, our piece on why Dhoni is hated explains how this works.

5. Years of RCB jokes

For 17 seasons, Royal Challengers Bengaluru did not win the IPL, and Kohli, the franchise's face, took most of the trolling. That changed when RCB won their first title in 2025 and then retained it in 2026, with Kohli named Player of the Match in the 2026 final. The old "Ee sala cup namde" jokes have lost their punch.

6. The Bengaluru stampede (2025)

On 4 June 2025, a day after RCB's first title, 11 people died in a crowd crush outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the victory celebrations. An official inquiry blamed poor clearances and crowd control, and held the franchise responsible for encouraging the huge turnout. Kohli was not personally found at fault, but as the team's biggest star he faced heavy anger online, and a hashtag calling for his arrest trended on X. In September 2025 he said, through RCB, that nothing had prepared him "for a heartbreak like June 4th".

7. The London move and "overseas player" memes

Kohli now lives mainly in London with his family. Some fans see it as him stepping away from India, and during IPL 2026 memes called him RCB's "fifth overseas player". Kohli laughed it off in public, but for critics it has become a new talking point.

8. Celebrity life and social media

Kohli is one of India's biggest brand ambassadors and among the most-followed sportspeople on Instagram. That brings constant attention to his diet, fashion, endorsements and even his likes. In May 2025, an accidental Instagram "like" went viral, and he had to clarify that there was "no intent behind it" and blamed the app's algorithm. Moments like this feed gossip that has nothing to do with cricket.

Also read: Can Virat Kohli Score 100 Centuries? His Tally and Real Chances in 2026

The latest reasons people criticise Kohli in 2026

People searching for "the latest reason to hate Virat Kohli" usually land on these talking points:

• His Test retirement in May 2025. Some fans felt he left too early; others felt his Test form outside off stump had dipped. Both views exist.

• His ODI future. Kohli now plays only ODIs for India. In September 2026 he said the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last for India, which has started debates about whether he should make way for younger batters.

• Slow knocks in the IPL. Any slow innings, especially at the Chinnaswamy, still triggers the strike-rate debate.

• The London base. The "overseas player" memes continue whenever he flies in for a series.

Is the hate fair?

Some of the criticism is fair cricket debate. His T20 tempo, his captaincy in knockout games and his late-career Test form are all legitimate topics. But a lot of it is not: death threats to commentators, abuse of his family and personal trolling cross the line.

It also helps to remember what he has achieved. Kohli has the most ODI hundreds in history, more than 80 international centuries, five ICC trophies including the U-19 World Cup, and two IPL titles. If you want the numbers side by side with India's other great, read our Sachin vs Virat comparison.

Also read: How Many ICC Trophies Has Virat Kohli Won? The Only Player With All 4 White-Ball Titles

Why Kohli is still so popular

For every critic, Kohli has many more fans. He changed fitness standards in Indian cricket, made chasing in ODIs look routine, and still plays with the same intensity in his late 30s. The strong reactions he creates, good and bad, are a sign of how big he is. Players nobody cares about don't have haters.

FAQs

Why do people hate Virat Kohli?

Mainly because of his aggressive style, the debate about his T20 strike rate, India's lack of ICC trophies under his captaincy and online fan wars. In 2025-26, the Bengaluru stampede backlash and his move to London added new criticism.

What is the latest reason people criticise Virat Kohli?

In 2026 the main talking points are his London base, slow innings in the IPL and whether he should continue in ODIs until the 2027 World Cup, which he has said will be his last for India.

Does Virat Kohli have more fans or haters?

Far more fans. He is one of the most-followed athletes in the world, and much of the online "hate" comes from small but loud groups of rival fans.

Did Virat Kohli respond to his critics?

Yes, at times. In 2024 he hit back at strike-rate critics, and in 2026 he laughed off the "overseas player" memes about living in London.

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