Indian Captain Virat Kohli Slapped With Legal Notice For Promoting Online Rummy

The highest court in the Indian state of Kerala on Wednesday issued a legal notice to skipper Virat Kohli for "attracting audiences" toward online rummy in his role as "brand ambassador."

A division bench headed by Chief Justice S Manikumar, and including Justice Anil K Narendran sent legal notices to Kohli and a few others while hearing a petition seeking to stop online rummy games. It also asked for a reply from the Kerala government on the matter, news agency ANI reported.

"Online Rummy games are becoming more and more popular. It should be legally prohibited. Other states have done the same. Kerala has a 1960 law. But no other steps have been taken. It does not include the topic of online rummy. The stars, who are the brand ambassadors, attracted the audience and took part in the competition. Online Rummy is within the limits of gambling," alleged Pauly Vadakkan, a Kerala native filed the petition, according to ANI.

Apart from Kohli, actors from the South Indian film industry Tamannaah Bhatia and Aju Varghese, who are also “brand ambassadors” of online rummy, have also been sent notices by the Kerala HC.

The Indian skipper Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma were recently blessed with a baby girl. After playing the One-Day International (ODI), Twenty20 International (T20I) series, and the first Test against Australia Down Under, Kohli returned home on paternity leave to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. Even without Kohli, India secured a historic Test series win in Australia. As Team India became the first team to hand Australia their first Test loss in Brisbane, India sealed the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy 2-1, and as they retained the trophy for the second successive time.

With the home series against England just a few days away from kickstarting in Chennai, Kohli has rejoined the team. India and England are set to lock horns in a four-match Test series before playing five T20Is and three ODIs. The first two Tests will be played at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium before the teams will head to Ahmedabad for the final two Tests that are scheduled to be played at the Sardar Patel Stadium. The same venue will also hold the five-match T20I series and the three ODIs will be played in Pune.