Virat Kohli shown no mercy with brutal 'IPL' jibe from Stuart Broad ahead of T20 World Cup final, deletes post

Virat Kohli may have had a forgettable run in the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup so far, scoring just 75 runs in seven innings, comprising two dismissals for duck and zero half-century scores, but the former India captain will be raring to make the most of what could be his final opportunity at laying hands on an ICC trophy. On Saturday, in Barbados, India will be up against South Africa in the final, and to hype up the occasion, the ICC put out a grand post for Kohli ahead of the big game. But the India opener was shown salty behaviour by veteran England fast bowler Stuart Broad, who took a brutal jibe at Kohli’s 17-year-long wait.

Following India's victory over England in the 2nd semifinal, a match that avenged their loss in Adelaide in the 2022 T20 World Cup, the ICC shared a post on Kohli. The caption read: "The last jewel remains missing from the crown of the king. Virat Kohli is one step away from #T20WorldCup glory." The anticipation for Kohli's potential victory is palpable.

However, ICC's post saw a brutal response from Broad, who wrote "IPL?", implying to Kohli's 17-year trophy drought in the Indian Premier League, but later deleted the post.

India won the T20 World Cup trophy only once, under MS Dhoni, in 2007, when Kohli was yet to make his international debut. Kohli later had the opportunity to claim the ICC trophy in 2014, but India lost to Sri Lanka in the final. The closest he came to the title thereafter was in 2016, which ended in a heartbreaking loss to the West Indies in the semifinal at home, and again 2022, when India lost against Jos Buttler's England in the semis. On Saturday though, Kohli, who was part of India's victorious 2011 ODI World Cup team and the 2013 Champions Trophy side, will have the opportunity to claim a third and final ICC trophy of the white-ball formats.

It hasn't been a tournament to remember for Kohli, who was expected to emulate his IPL 2024 show with RCB, where he smashed 741 runs to win the Orange Cap. His run included five single-digit scores, with his highest being 37 against Bangladesh in the Super Eight stage. With India aiming to end their ICC trophy drought, they would need Kohli to be among the top run-getters against South Africa in the final in Barbados.