Indian cricket fans are known for their fanatical support and loyalty, but Sunday’s third ODI between India and New Zealand in Indore saw this fervour boil over into unexpected areas of social media. In response to a rare fielding mistake by Virat Kohli, sports goods suppliers SG (Sanspareils Greenlands) and Kookaburra were subjected to social media trolling.
The flashpoint was a rare fielding error by Virat Kohli during a crucial phase of New Zealand’s innings. Kohli, known to be one of the best fielders in international cricket, surprisingly failed to collect the ball properly. Although the mistake was momentary, the reaction that followed on the internet snowballed.
Fans target cricket ball manufacturers instead of the player
Rather than focusing their criticism on the player, a section of Kohli’s fans shifted their attention to the official Instagram handles of companies SG and Kookaburra, which are responsible for the production of cricket balls used in international matches.
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In no time, the comments section below their recent posts was filled with complaints, demands, and accusations. Some users even placed the blame on the ball itself for Kohli’s dropped catch.
‘Fix your ball’: Comments flood Instagram
One fan commented, “Please work on the ball's surface. It's too slippery for King Kohli,” while another wrote, “Fix your quality, your ball cost us a wicket today.” The unusual nature of the trolling highlighted how far fan reactions can stretch in moments of high emotion.
Not the first case of misdirected fan anger
This episode mirrors a previous instance of misdirected online anger. In March 2025, after a spectacular catch by New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips that dismissed Kohli in the Champions Trophy, fans mistakenly directed their anger at the Instagram handle of the electronics company Philips. Fans were urging the company to “stop taking catches.”
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Kohli lets the bat do the talking
In the midst of all the drama that was unfolding online, Kohli’s display with the bat was quite impressive. The former Indian captain scored a dominating 124 off 108 balls, which was his 54th ODI century. His knock ensured that India remained in the hunt despite being faced with a daunting target of 338 runs. Although the effort was made, India ultimately came up short by 41 runs, and this marked the first-ever ODI series win for New Zealand on Indian soil.
