Cricket in India is often described as a religion and operates in a sphere where rules of normality don’t always apply. No opportunity to build hysteria around the Indian team is missed, and every minuscule action by the players is analysed to death.

Temples are built in the names of players, and prayers are held so that India wins matches. Now with the World Cup underway, the school of Indian skipper Virat Kohli decided it too wants to get in the act.

Host broadcasters Star Sports tweeted on Friday that soil from the Vishal Bharti Public School in Uttam Nagar, where Kohli spent a part of his childhood, is being sent to London. "The soil from @imVkohli's school, where he learned to play cricket, is going to London to bless him (sic.)," Star Sports tweeted.

The soil from @imVkohli's school, where he learnt to play cricket, is going to London to bless him.Reply with your blessings and wishes and share this post with five other Virat fans as #KingKohli hunts for the #CricketKaCrown.#BlessingsFromHomeGround pic.twitter.com/6fVpbmYfyQ — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 7, 2019

Fans reacted to the tweet by Star Sports in utter disbelief, unable to fathom what the school or Star Sports hoped to achieve with this stunt.

Virat Kohli is currently in England looking to become the third Indian captain to win the World Cup after Kapil Dev in 1983 and M.S. Dhoni in 2011.

Kiska idea tha ye — Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) 7 June 2019

Gou mutra se nahyega to net practice ki bhi jarurat nahi hai — Sujit (@SwadesiSujit) 7 June 2019

Few also trolled the idiocy of the move

India has become a Banana republic full of idiots. — Manisha (@starrymm07) 7 June 2019

Virat rn pic.twitter.com/XI6lt51ujl — THUNDER BIRD (@iamthunder847) 7 June 2019

Virat rn pic.twitter.com/XI6lt51ujl — THUNDER BIRD (@iamthunder847) 7 June 2019

Bhai wo Jung p nahi cricket khelna ja Raha, fun Entertainment naam ki bhi koe cheez hoti h — Aiman ایمن (@TwadiPan) 7 June 2019

I guess we forgot to draw the creepy line for sports, now waiting for his handpump to go and bless him in England ..#plainStupid — shubhendra pandey (@shubh1780) 7 June 2019

Wtf Star sport is smoking! How about air where Kohli started playing. Carry it. That carbon dioxide is important! — Sachin (@Sachin8752) 7 June 2019

Gobar bhi bhejoo naa ‍♀️‍♂️ It’s Divine — Terence (@terence_fdes) 7 June 2019

Am I on drugs? Are you on drugs? — Radio Cricket (@RadioCricket) 7 June 2019

Alhumdulillah, we have duas instead, to send to people to seek Allah's blessings. much more effective! — Robini (@despondent2016) 7 June 2019

Kohli-led India started their tournament on June 5 with a convincing six-wicket win against South Africa. Their next game is against defending champions Australia, who are unbeaten in the two matches they have played thus far. The match will be played on Sunday at The Oval in London.