DEHRADUN: Indian cricket team’s captain Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck in the first T20 international against England on Friday evening. Immediately after, Uttarakhand police shared a picture of his dismissal in a tweet, saying that in addition to wearing a helmet, it is important to stay alert so as not to ‘get out for a duck like Kohli’.
However, after a strong response from Twitterati, the state police beat a hasty retreat and deleted the tweet from its official handle.
Deputy inspector general Nilesh Anand Bharney, who is also the spokesperson for Uttarakhand police headquarters, told TOI, “Social media’s outreach is massive and the youths follow the iconic figures. It helps us take the message out to a large number of people.”

He pointed out that such messages are “catchy” and “draw the attention of many in the society”. The senior police official said, “Spreading awareness on any issue is important and we want that the bikers follow all norms and remain cautious as it will minimise the possibility of road accidents.”
The state police was forced to delete the post from its social media account after drawing flak online.
In response, a Twitter user wrote, “Kohli is not some roadside boy but he is the most successful captain and an outstanding athlete and even his 5% fitness is not visible in the Uttarakhand police.”
Another user mentioned that Rajasthan police had to apologise to Jasprit Bumrah for a hoarding which took a swipe at a no-ball bowled by the pacer.
This is not the first time when Uttarakhand police has used a catchy tweet to generate awareness on traffic or regarding Covid-19 protocols.
Earlier, it had posted a scene from Hindi movie ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ and a still from popular Netflix series ‘Money Heist’ to request people to stay indoors during the pandemic.