Virat Kohli caught hurling insults at young Musheer Khan: ‘Ye paani pilata hai’; what exactly happened?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) delivered a dominant all-round display to crush Punjab Kings by eight wickets in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Thursday at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. With this win, RCB secured their spot in the final for the fourth time in franchise history. However, despite the team’s success, star batter Virat Kohli has faced heavy criticism on social media for making an inappropriate remark directed at Punjab Kings’ young player Musheer Khan during the high-stakes match.

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Virat Kohli Sparks Controversy with ‘Water-Boy’ Remark at Debutant Musheer Khan

When Musheer Khan walked out to bat in the ninth over of the innings, Virat Kohli appeared to try to unsettle the 20-year-old, who was making his T20 debut. A video clip, now going viral, shows Kohli animatedly chatting with his teammate while positioned at first slip. Fans on social media claim Kohli referred to Musheer Khan as a “water-boy,” allegedly saying, “Ye paani pilata hai,” just as the debutant prepared to face his first delivery. This was the right-handed batter’s first match in the ongoing IPL 2025. 

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Kohli Criticized Over Comment on Debutant Musheer Khan

The incident has sparked outrage online, with fans accusing Virat Kohli of disrespecting a player making his IPL debut. However, some fans argue that Kohli didn’t insult Musheer Khan and was merely pointing out that the young PBKS batter had served drinks earlier in the match. Hindustan Times has not independently verified this claim. Notably, Punjab Kings brought in Musheer Khan as an impact substitute after their batting lineup collapsed like a pack of cards against RCB.

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