In a recent revelation, former South African Test captain Dean Elgar has claimed that during a Test match in 2015, star Indian batter Virat Kohli allegedly spat at him, sparking controversy and renewed discussions about the incident.
Elgar revealed on a podcast that he had confrontations with Kohli and Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin during the series in question, which is believed to be South Africa’s tour of India in 2015. He was joined on the podcast by former Proteas all-rounder Chris Morris and rugby player Jean de Villiers.
In India…those wickets were jokes. Like playing on that… that surface there. And I came into bat and I was actually like holding my own against Ashwin and what’s his name Jeja, Jeja, Jeja (Ravindra Jadeja) (smiles) and Kohli, he like spat at me.
Elgar also mentioned the legendary South African batter AB de Villiers specifically. He talked about how Kohli and De Villiers, who were teammates at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), share a great friendship. Elgar also jokingly said that if Kohli tried to do something on the field, he would knock him out.
It should be noted that Elgar retired from international cricket in December 2023, after captaining the South African team in two Test match series against India at home. This leadership role saw him stand in for the regular captain, Temba Bavuma.
Moreover, the star Indian batter did not celebrate after taking a catch off Elgar’s bat in his final Test innings at Cape Town as Kohli hugged him as he returned to the pavilion.
After bidding Elgar a warm farewell in his last international match, Kohli also presented him with a signed jersey in Cape Town during the final match of the series and India emerged victorious against South Africa, thus leveling the series at 1-1