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Xtra Time Web Desk: England's stand-in captain Jos Buttler on Saturday downplayed his verbal spat with India captain Virat Kohli in the fifth T20I at Ahmedabad. The wicketkeeper batsman spoke discreetly about the incident, describing the Indian captain to be a very ‘competitive’ and ‘passionate’ cricketer and that incidents like that are ‘quite natural’ in international cricket.

"I think someone like Virat is a very competitive guy and quite an emotional player in terms of emotions during the game. I think that's one of the great things about cricket that there are lots of different player,. and we all play in our own way, and that's what makes it interesting to watch. I think this whole series has been fiercely competitive, and both sides are desperate to win, as you would expect in international cricket. So, of course, there's times when guys get competitive, and it's part of quite natural things that in international cricket," said Jos Buttler during a virtual press conference in Pune.

The controversial incident occurred in the fifth T20I. Jos Buttler and Kohli were involved in a heated exchange after the England batsman got dismissed after scoring a half century. Kohli even followed the batsman for a few moments as he walked back to the pavilion.

Before this incident, Virat Kohli was involved in a heated exchange with Ben Stokes during the Test series. Some sections of the English media and pundits heavily criticised the 32-year-old for the same.

Earlier in the series, Eoin Morgan too downplayed the confrontation between the India captain and his team . He also acknowledged Virat Kohli's 'animated' nature and labelled 'conflicts' as a part and parcel of international cricket.