'Fans Gali Dete Hain...': Praveen Kumar Reveals Story Behind 'Abuse' Incident Involving Rohit Sharma
Praveen lost his cool at a fan in Melbourne (screengrab)
Former India speedster Praveen Kumar revealed the true backstory behind his viral incident with a fan alongside teammate Rohit Sharma during the 2011-12 tour to Australia.
Kumar and Rohit were seen indulging in a heated argument with a fan, who threw some words at them during a net session in Melbourne ahead of a triangular series One-Day International.
As Rohit went about training, this fan teased and abused the out-of-form right-hander. Initially ignoring the word of the naysayer, the Mumbaikar lost his temper and expressed his anger at him before Praveen joined in.
Praveen even threatened to beat this fan with a stump uprooted from the pitch and held in his hand after he abused his teammate and great friend.
Praveen Reveals Backstory to Viral Incident
Speaking in a rare interview with journalist Saurabh Dwivedi on his YouTube channel 'Lallantop', Praveen revealed the fan had indeed abused Rohit frequently while he was trying to focus on the deliveries, and it was only human and imminent that the two cricketers would react after some stage.
Praveen said the incident feels worse to him because the abuses came from an Indian fan based in Australia and following the team on a challenging trip, where they required their supporters to rally with the MS Dhoni-led side, which strived to overcome the on-field defeats.
"I never fought myself, it was for Rohit. What actually happened was me, Rohit and Manoj (Tiwary) we were not playing the (next) match and (training) so then a person abused Rohit."
"The game was probably in Melbourne, so the public was present for the nets. I told you, no, it's always the Indians who abuse the players more. They were Indian fans. The abuses kept coming for long and when they didn't stop, we reacted," he added.
 "Kashish Chadha")
