'Virat Kohli skipped 4th Test for IPL' – Gautam Gambhir gives fitting response to Brad Hodge for insulting remark

New Delhi: While the controversy around Australian media's comparison of Virat Kohli with US President Donald Trump was yet to settle down, former Aussie cricketer Brad Hodge added more fuel to fire when he said that the Indian skipper had skipped fourth Test against Australia to regain full fitness for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017.

"You'd hope as a sportsman that he's seriously injured," Hodge was quoted telling Fox Sports News' Gameday Live.

"Because if you miss one game of Test match cricket and you're fronting up the next week for RCB [Royal Challengers Bangalore] versus whoever ... you'd be pretty dirty if he didn't front up to a Test match and try and win a valuable series against Australia."

Kohli had injured his right shoulder while trying to prevent a ball from crossing the boundary rope during the third Test played at Ranchi.

Kohli's Delhi team-mate Gautam Gambhir threw his weight behind him saying there was no way Kohli could have done that.

"I feel someone who is playing for the country and captaining India would never want to miss a Test match and would definitely want to play for India more than any other tournament. That has always been the case and knowing Virat, he would have never done that," the left-hander told CNN News 18.

Gambhir further slammed Hodge saying that such statements were given by individuals only to make headlines.

"Look if you jsut want to be in headlines you can say anything you would want to. It's just about making a headline or trying to get your name in the press, you could make such statements as well. But if you don't know the person, you don't know the extent of the injury, you should not be talking about it," Gambhir added.