SHOW SOME RESPECT: KOHLI LASHES FANS OVER SMITH ‘CHEATER’ CHANTS

VIRAT Kohli has sledged thousands of Indian fans over their “unacceptable” treatment of Steve Smith, pleading for World Cup crowds to treat the maligned batsman with respect.

Smith was loudly booed as he jogged towards the boundary to field at third man and a chant of “cheater, cheater, cheater” echoed around The Oval in London during the clash on Sunday.

Kohli, who was on his way to a crisp 82 (77) at the time, waved to the Indian faithful seated in the Vauxhall Stand to grab their attention after the next ball.

Kohli then gestured to the fans to instead applaud Smith before turning around and shaking his head in disappointment at what he had seen.

Kohli also embraced Smith in a brilliant display of sportsmanship between two of cricket’s fiercest rivals.

The crowd responded by chanting, “Kohli, Kohli, Kohli” but they continued to boo Smith when he batted.

“He didn’t do anything to be booed in my opinion,” Kohli said. “Because there’s so many Indian fans here, I just didn’t want them to set a bad example. He’s just playing cricket.

“He was just standing there, and I felt bad because if I was in a position where something had happened with me and I had apologised, I accepted it and I came back and still I would get booed, I wouldn’t like it, either.

“So I just felt for him, and I told him I’m sorry on behalf of the crowd because I’ve seen that happened in a few earlier games as well and, in my opinion, that’s not acceptable.”

Kohli noted that he and Smith have had “issues” and on-field arguments but he still wanted the former Australian captain to be forgiven.

“Look, I think what’s happened has happened a long back,” Kohli said.

Smith has been booed in every World Cup match. His century in last month’s warmup match against England also met with a hostile reception.