India pacer Mukesh Kumar faced tough time on social media after a picture of him donning Virat Kohli's No. 18 jersey in India A's first unofficial Test match against England Lions in Canterbury went viral.

Mukesh was attacked with hate messages while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was slammed for "disrespecting" Kohli.

Kohli announced his retirement from the traditional format last month. His decision to quit Test cricket came ahead of the England tour.

With Kohli hanging up his boots from Tests, his No. 18 jersey was up for grabs, and Mukesh switched his jersey number from 49 to 18. While it is yet to be confirmed whether the switch is temporary or permanent, the viral picture of him wearing Kohli's iconic jersey number left a section of fans furious.

Apart from Mukesh, the Indian board was also called out by Kohli fans, who suggested that the former skipper "deserves the same respect" as Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni.

For the unversed, the BCCI had retired the jerseys of both Tendulkar and Dhoni after their retirements.

Coming to Mukesh Kumar, he hasn’t been included in India’s main Test squad for the upcoming five-match series against England. However, the right-arm pacer has certainly created an opportunity for a late entry in case of an injury.

Mukesh, who has represented India in three Tests so far, claimed three wickets in the opening four-day game against the Lions, ripping through the middle-order. His victims were centurion Max Holden, James Rew and Rehan Ahmed.