WC 2019: Steve Smith appreciates Virat Kohli's "lovely gesture"

Spectators near Smith started chanting, "Cheater!" repeatedly but Kohli, in the middle, gestured to the India insignia on his helmet, pointed at Smith and clapped in an effort to quiet the crowd.

Australia’s star batsman Steve Smith has appreciated Virat Kohli's "lovely gesture" after the Indian skipper expressed his sympathy for Steven Smith and apologized on behalf of the crowd after the former Australia captain was heckled by the India dominated crowd at the Oval. Kohli was batting when Smith was sent to field on the boundary at one stage of India's innings. Spectators near Smith started chanting, "Cheater!" repeatedly but Kohli, in the middle, gestured to the India insignia on his helmet, pointed at Smith and clapped in an effort to quiet the crowd.

With India fans giving Steve Smith a tough time fielding in the deep, @imVkohli suggested they applaud the Australian instead. Absolute class 👏 #SpiritOfCricket #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/mmkLoedxjr

— ICC (@ICC) June 9, 2019

"It was a lovely gesture by Virat," Smith told reporters after Australia's victory to Sri Lanka. Smith said the frequent booing and heckling by the English crowd doesn't affect him but appreciated Kohli's gesture nonetheless. "It doesn't really bother me what the crowds do to be perfectly honest. I am just blocking it all out but it was a lovely gesture from him," Smith said. During IND-AUS World Cup clash, the two players were seen shaking hands after the former gestured the fans to show some restraint. "I just felt for him, and I told him, 'I'm sorry on behalf of the crowd because I have seen that happen in a few earlier games as well'. In my opinion, that's not acceptable," Kohli had said after the match. "Just because there are so many Indian fans here, I just didn't want them to set a bad example, to be honest, because he didn't do anything to be booed in my opinion. He's just playing cricket," Kohli said.