Virat Kohli’s much-anticipated 300th ODI didn’t quite go to plan. The Indian batting star managed just 11 runs before a stunning one-handed grab by Glenn Phillips at backward point sent him back to the pavilion during India’s ICC Champions Trophy clash against New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday. But while Kiwi cricketer Phillips took the catch, it was another ‘Philips’ that faced the heat.
As frustration poured onto social media, some overly passionate (and slightly confused) fans stormed the Instagram page of Philips – the electronics company, believing they had found the culprit.
The brand’s official account was soon flooded with hilarious yet angry comments from Indian supporters blaming ‘Phillips’ for Kohli’s dismissal. "Unfollowed!" raged one fan, while another quipped, “You shouldn’t have made the mistake of catching Kohli’s shot Mr. Philips. Karma will get back at you.”
The social media managers at Philips – who, to their knowledge, had never taken a one-handed screamer at backward point – were left both bemused and slightly concerned by the unexpected spike in engagement. But they took the trolling in stride, responding with a cheeky Instagram post: “Not the same Philips. Doesn’t get Kohli out (X), Makes Kohli hit it out of the park (✓).”
If this sounds familiar, it's because Kohli’s fans have done it before. Himanshu Sangwan, the Railways pacer who dismissed Kohli in a Ranji Trophy match, had also found himself in the eye of a social media storm. After that dismissal, an innocent namesake on Instagram bore the brunt of Kohli fans’ misplaced outrage.
Despite the early setback, India posted a competitive 249/9 in 50 overs, with Shreyas Iyer (79), Hardik Pandya (45), and Axar Patel (42) helping to rebuild the innings after a top-order collapse. Henry was the pick of the Kiwi bowlers, returning figures of 5/42.
Then a strong bowling display, led by Varun Chakaravarthy’s maiden five-wicket haul, ensured India defended their total comfortably and sealed their place at the top of Group A in the ICC Champions Trophy.
But for some fans, the real crime of the night wasn’t Kohli’s low score – it was an innocent electronics brand being dragged into cricket heartbreak.
