Credit: X
Ever since the Royal Challengers Bengaluru exited the Indian Premier League 2024 after losing Eliminator against the Rajasthan Royals, the Chennai Super Kings fans and former batter Ambati Rayudu criticised Bengaluru and Virat Kohli. After involving in the IPL 2024 final post-match banter with fellow commentators Kevin Pietersen and Mayanti Langer over RCB and Virat Kohli, fans hurled abuses at the 38-year-old former Indian batter, which forced the England international to urge fans to stop mistreating Rayudu.
After RCB knocked out CSK from the IPL 2024 playoffs race, Bengaluru and Virat Kohli's animated celebration drew a lot of criticism from the joint-record five-time champions' fans and former batter Rayudu. Rayudu continued his brutal attack on Bengaluru after the Kolkata Knight Riders won their third IPL title against the SunRisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2024 final.
Following KKR's victory in the IPL 2024 final, Rayudu along with Pietersen and Mayanti talked about Kolkata's win while the six-time IPL winner took an indirect dig at Virat Kohli saying, "It’s not the orange cap that wins you the IPL, but it’s the contributions, 300 runs each or 400 runs each." Rayudu added, "Virat needs to lower his standards so that youngsters will feel less pressure." However, both Mayanti and Pitersen disagreed with the statement as they claimed Rajat Patidar stepped up for RCB.
The RCB and Virat Kohli fans were deeply hurt by Rayudu's comment and abused the former CSK batter on social media, which led Kevin Pietersen to ask fans to stop rough treatment of the Indian players including Rayudu. Pietersen took to X and urged fans, "Come on guys! This tribalism with/against Indian players on social media needs to slow down! Example - Ambati Rayudu and I were messing around after the IPL final and all of (a) sudden that banter has turned into an avalanche of abuse towards Ambati. PLEASE stop it?🙏🏽"
