“They should be ashamed of themselves” - When Virat Kohli called out personal attacks following 2015 World Cup semifinal loss 

Ace Indian batter Virat Kohli has never been one to hold back, especially early in his career, and the aftermath of the 2015 ODI World Cup was one such occasion. Playing in only his second 50-over World Cup after helping India win the 2011 edition, Kohli was expected to set the tournament on fire.

While he had his high moments, the ending was a bitter disappointment when he was dismissed for 1 off 13 deliveries in the semi-final against Australia. Kohli top-edged a Mitchell Johnson delivery with the game in the balance and India at 78/1 in the 16th over, chasing Australia's 328/7.

India eventually lost by 95 runs, leading to several fans and the media slamming Kohli for his failure in the semi-final, including taking personal shots at the star batter.

A fortnight later as he was about to kickstart his IPL campaign, Kohli responded by saying:

"At a human level, I would say I was hurt. And the people that said things and the way they were said, they should be ashamed of themselves. Personally I was very disappointed. I don't think anyone has helped India win as many matches or performed as consistently as I have in the last five years."

He added:

"After that, to see such reactions after just one poor innings, was very disappointing. What it does is it makes you lose faith in a lot of people. It's a good thing in a way - you get to know who's with you and who's not. It was indeed a very difficult, well, not difficult because it's not in my control. But the reactions were very disappointing."

Kohli finished the 2015 World Cup with 305 runs at an average of almost 51 and a strike rate of 81.55 in eight outings.

Virat Kohli responded with sensational 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cup campaigns

Virat Kohli enjoyed tremendous individual success in the following two ODI World Cups in 2019 and 2023.

The champion batter captained India to the top spot in the points table in 2019 and finished with 443 runs at an average of over 55 and a strike rate of 94.05 in nine matches. However, India suffered a shocking defeat to New Zealand in the semi-final.

Kohli's best performance came at the 2023 World Cup at home when he set the all-time record for most runs in a single ODI World Cup edition.

The 35-year-old finished with 765 runs at an average of 95.62 and a strike rate of 90.31, including three centuries and six half-centuries. Kohli's heroics helped India reach the final unbeaten but a six-wicket defeat to Australia shattered their dreams.