Virat Kohli led T20 World Cup cricket team take the knee

The skipper of the Indian cricket team Virat Kohli has shed light on why the team took the knee before the game against Pakistan in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

The Indian players took the knee in solidarity with the BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement.

The 'Black Lives Matter' movement had gained momentum after the death of an African-American man named George Floyd in May last year after police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on Floyd's neck as suggested by viral videos. Ever since Floyd's demise, many sportspersons have come out to talk about their experience with racism.

Mohammad Rizwan and skipper Babar Azam put on a remarkable show on October 24, as Pakistan thrashed India by ten wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

This is the first time that India has lost a T20I by ten wickets.

India went into the match with a 12-0 record in World Cups against their neighbours but Pakistan snapped that streak with a 10-wicket romp at the Dubai International Stadium.

Kohli reacted with incredulity when asked if their unblemished track record made them complacent against the arch-rivals ahead of the Group Two blockbuster.

"You don't go out there to take anything lightly, especially a team like Pakistan who on their day can beat anyone in the world," Kohli, who will relinquish India's T20 captaincy after the tournament, told reporters.

"We never take any opposition lightly. Neither do we differentiate between oppositions. That's how we play our cricket."

India will square off against New Zealand on Sunday, October 31.

(ANI/Reuters)