'Management Decision,' Says Virat Kohli When Asked About Team Taking the Knee

This was the first time the Indian cricket team took the knee collectively.

The Indian cricket team took the knee before the start of the 2021 T20 World Cup.

(Photo: Twitter)

Indian captain Virat Kohli explained that the team took the knee ahead of the match against Pakistan as they had been told to by the management.

“That (decision on taking the knee) was communicated to us by the management. The Pakistan team agreed to pay their tribute towards the same cause, and then we accepted our side of things, as well. Yeah, that’s how it was decided,” Kohli said after the match on Sunday.

While the Indian team took the knee, the Pakistan players paid tribute by holding their right hand to their heart.

While sportspersons and cricketers across the world had been taking the knee to show support to the movement against racism since the death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police personnel in May last year, the Indian team had not made the gesture before Sunday.

Hardik Pandya is the only Indian cricketer who had taken the knee, during the IPL last season.

England and the West Indies teams, along with the match officials, took a knee last summer during their three-match Test series, the first from the sport.

(With PTI Inputs)