"Quite natural thing" - Jos Buttler plays down his spat with Virat Kohli
England's stand-in captain Jos Buttler has played down his alleged spat with Virat Kohli and the overall conduct of the Indian captain throughout the India-England series.
Addressing a press conference ahead of his side's third ODI against India, Jos Buttler spoke discreetly about the issue. He said that the Indian captain is very 'competitive', and passionate things like this are 'quite natural' in international cricket.
"I think someone like Virat is a very competitive guy and quite an emotional player in terms of emotions during the game. I think that's one of the great things about cricket that there are lots of different player,. and we all play in our own way, and that's what makes it interesting to watch. I think this whole series has been fiercely competitive, and both sides are desperate to win, as you would expect in international cricket. So, of course, there's times when guys get competitive, and it's part of quite natural things that in international cricket," said Jos Buttler.
The controversial incident occurred in the fifth T20I. Jos Buttler, after playing brilliantly for his 52, holed down to long-off. Barbs were exchanged between him and Virat Kohli following the dismissal. The latter even followed the batsman for a few moments as he walked back to the pavilion.
Before this incident, Virat Kohli was involved in a heated exchange with Ben Stokes during the Test series. Some sections of the English media and pundits heavily criticised the 32-year-old for the same.
Eoin Morgan's views on Virat Kohli and Jos Buttler's spat
Earlier in the series, like Jos Buttler, Eoin Morgan also downplayed the duel. He also acknowledged Virat Kohli's 'animated' nature and labelled 'conflicts' as a part and parcel of international cricket.
"I don't know actually (what exactly happened). Obviously, Virat is very animated when he plays, a big character in the game, that's just who he is; he rides the emotions of the game. Sometimes in tight games, people can have conflicts, that's not uncommon. I think that was the instance," said Eoin Morgan.
Jos Buttler and Virat Kohli will lock horns with each other for the last time in the series on March 28 in Pune.