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Cape Town - Proteas strike bowler Kagiso Rabada has criticised Indian batsman Virat Kohli for his 'immature' on-field behaviour.
The two have history from the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the match between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Delhi Capitals this year.
After dispatching a Rabada delivery to the boundary, Kohli gave the fast bowler some choice words.
But Rabada has said that while Kohli can dish out abuse, he can't receive it without getting angry, which the Proteas seamer believes shows immaturity on the part of the Indian skipper.
"I was just thinking about the game plan, really, but Virat, he hit me for a boundary and then he had a word. And then when you give it back to him, he gets angry. I don’t get the guy. Maybe he does it because it gets him going, but that comes across as very immature for me. He is a phenomenal player but he can’t take the abuse. But those things can’t distract you,” Kagiso Rabada said while speaking to ESPNCricinfo.
When asked how he responds to sledging, Rabada says it fires him up and helps him to perform better.
“In fact, for me, it just wakes me up, if anything. If somebody comes at me and says, “I’m going to hit you. I’m going to clobber you. You are soft”, it wakes me up because - it’s a fight-or-flight response,” the 24-year-old added.
These comments have added even more spice to what should be a mouth-watering encounter between the sides on Wednesday, June 5 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
