Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader, offered his support to cricket captain Virat Kohli, who has been the target of an online attack following India's two consecutive World Cup losses, and urged him to forgive those who are trolling him because they are "filled with hate because nobody gives them any love."

In the aftermath of India's performance and his strong comments condemning the targeting of teammate Mohammed Shami, Kohli has faced a barrage of online criticism. ''Dear Virat, These people are filled with hate because nobody gives them any love. Forgive them. Protect the team,'' Gandhi said in a tweet.

India was defeated by New Zealand by eight wickets in Dubai on Sunday night, putting their chances of reaching the semifinals in jeopardy. Prior to the match, Kohli slammed "spineless trolls" who attacked Shami's religion after the team's first T20 World Cup loss to Pakistan, saying that targeting people for their faith is "the most pathetic thing" to do.

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