Virat Kohli's decision of going on paternity leave justified as per DNA's poll after Gavasakar's comments

Even since Team India skipper Virat Kohli informed his decision to the selection committee about him leaving Australia on a paternal leave, the whole cricketing fraternity and fans have been divided on the issue.

While many of them believed that Kohli should have stayed on being on the national duty, many users said that family comes first and Kohli was right in choosing to be with his wife and actor Anushka Sharma for the birth of their first child.

As per DNA's poll on Twitter, 53.5 per cent people suggested that Kohli's decision was justified given he has life outside cricket and family always comes first.

46.5 per cent of them, however, felt that the decision was unjustified and duty of playing for the country comes first.

#DNA Poll: Captain #ViratKohli taking paternity leave from the ongoing #AUSvsIND Test series is...

— DNA (@dna) December 24, 2020

The debate gained storm after the legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar about different rules for different people, citing T Natarajan's example.

"Another player who will wonder about the rules but, of course, can't make any noise about it as he is a newcomer. It is T Natarajan. The left-arm yorker specialist who made an impressive debut in the T20 and had Hardik Pandya gallantly offering to share the man of the T20 series prize with him had become a father for the first time even as the IPL playoffs were going on. He was taken to Australia directly from the UAE and then llooking at his brilliant performances, he was asked to stay on for the Test series but not as a part of the team but as a net bowler. Imagine that," he wrote.

"A match winner, albeit in another format, being asked to be a net bowler. He will thus return home only after the series ends in the third week of January and get to see his daughter for the first time then. And there is the captain going back after the first Test for the birth of his first child. That's Indian cricket. Different rules for different people," he added.

Twitter too was divided on the debate as many were in the favour of Kohli's decision, like the DNA poll suggested saying that he is not fighting for the country at the border and isn't working for a Government organisation, thus he can take decision whatever he deems fit for himself.

However, a few cited ex-skipper and former Indian player MS Dhoni, who kept national duty ahead and said that everything else can wait.

Remember MSD. He chose Country over Ziva!! Even when you are on National duty, country comes first!! What will happen if army personnel start taking leaves! Plus in cricket there are double standards. Natarajan is still in Australia with the same case. He also hasn't seen his son

— Anish Upadhyay (@awalkngwanderer) December 24, 2020

You didn't give us an option: It is his choice. I may opine "Duty first" but would respect his "justified :family first"

— Naresh Kumar Mathur (@mathur_nk) December 24, 2020

Anyone who has played any form of organised cricket knows the team comes first. I remember one of our players going through a messy divorce, but he was in the form of his (curmbling) life. The captain used to go out of his way to pick him up and drive hime to the grounds.

— River Valley Trading (@ShavingZA) December 24, 2020

India will face Australia in the remaining three games starting on Saturday, with the Boxing Day Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).