Former international umpire Anil Chaudhary has said that high-voltage personalities like Virat Kohli are essential to keeping cricket compelling, adding that the star batter's on-field aggression stems entirely from competitive instinct and carries no personal malice. Chaudhary made the remarks in an interview on JioHotstar, drawing on years of officiating Kohli's matches from his junior days.

Chaudhary on Kohli's Aggression

Chaudhary, who has known Kohli since the batter's early cricket days, offered an insider's perspective on what drives the former India captain's fiery temperament. 'He doesn't have any malice. He reacts aggressively sometimes, but if you're right, he'll give you a thumbs up too. Between overs, he'll come over and put a hand around your waist. But he is lively throughout. Players like him should be there; otherwise, the game will get boring,' Chaudhary said.

Kohli, who recently featured in India's 2-1 ODI series loss to England, is next scheduled to play during the series against the West Indies in September. His continued presence in high-stakes cricket makes the debate around his temperament especially relevant.

Northern Aggression and the IPL Flashpoints

Reflecting on fiery on-field exchanges in the Indian Premier League (IPL) — including the widely discussed heated altercation between Kohli and Gautam Gambhir in 2013 — Chaudhary argued that aggression is intrinsic to northern Indian cricketers and adds a distinct flavour to the game, provided it stays within limits.

'I knew something like that would happen because all of them from the North play with aggression. I have played local cricket too, and our players have always played like this. If they don't play with that aggression, their performances won't come out as well. The flavour of the game won't be there if you put too many restrictions on the players. But there's a limit, and it shouldn't be crossed,' he said.

Mankading Debate: A Penalty System May Be Coming

Chaudhary also weighed in on the ongoing controversy surrounding run-outs at the non-striker's end — commonly referred to as 'Mankading' — defending the mode of dismissal while predicting that cricket authorities could introduce a structured warning-and-penalty mechanism within the next year or two.

'The dismissal is fair in cricket. The batter at the non-striker's end is running so far ahead that the advantage he gets is that he has only a few more steps to cover to reach the other end, which is unfair. I think very soon, in a year or two, a rule will come in with a warning system — one warning, two warnings, and then a run penalty. Because it's unfair. Many times, on the last ball, the non-striker starts running early, and the striker does the same. So, what's left for the bowler?' Chaudhary explained.

Sehwag, Bucknor and Dressing-Room Banter

Former India opener Aakash Chopra added colour to the discussion with a humorous anecdote from an Australian tour involving Virender Sehwag and veteran umpire Steve Bucknor. According to Chopra, Sehwag — acting as a messenger for Sachin Tendulkar's grievances — bluntly told Bucknor at square leg: 'Steve, you can't hear, you can't see, you should retire.' When Chopra warned Sehwag that the umpire could give him out, Sehwag reportedly replied: 'He's giving Tendulkar wrong decisions anyway. If he's going to keep giving wrong decisions, what's the difference? At least let me speak my mind!'

Umesh Yadav on Playing Mind Games with Umpires

Veteran fast bowler Umesh Yadav admitted to indulging in tongue-in-cheek banter to unsettle umpires during tense match situations. 'Normally, when you're playing and you feel the umpire is doing something intentionally, you also end up doing a few things intentionally, just to annoy the umpire! Sometimes, when you're bowling and the batter says something to you unnecessarily, you'll say, 'Sir, can't you see? Do you want to wear glasses?' So, you end up doing those cheeky kinds of things,' Yadav said.

Taken together, the candid exchanges offer a rare window into the culture of competitive banter that runs beneath the surface of professional cricket — and why, according to Chaudhary, characters like Kohli remain irreplaceable to the sport's appeal.