Star India batter Virat Kohli walked back onto the field to pose for a picture with the Vadodara ground staff following the conclusion of the first ODI of the three-match series against New Zealand. The match was played on Sunday, January 11.
Chasing a target of 301, Kohli played an instrumental role, scoring 93 off 91 balls, including eight fours and a six, as the Men in Blue won the series opener by four wickets with an over to spare. After the match, the 37-year-old took a moment to acknowledge the ground staff by clicking a group picture with them.
Watch the video below:
Meanwhile, during his 93-run innings, Virat Kohli also became the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket. The Delhi-born cricketer has now scored 28,068 runs in 557 matches across formats at an average of 52.66, including 146 fifties and 84 hundreds. He is second only to legendary former India batter Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 34,357 runs in 664 games.
“She’s proud of them” – Virat Kohli reflects on winning the Player of the Game award
For his 93-run knock, Virat Kohli was awarded the Player of the Game, his 45th in ODI cricket. While speaking to the broadcaster, the India veteran revealed that he sends all his awards to his mother at his Gurugram home and said [as quoted by ESPNcricinfo]:
“I send my awards to my mum, she’s proud of them. If I look back at my whole journey, it’s nothing short of a dream come true. I always knew my abilities and had to work to get where I have. God’s given me way too much, I have a lot of gratitude. Honestly, the way I’m playing, I’m not thinking milestones. If we were batting first, I’d have gone harder. The experience does kick in, but the main thing was to get the team ahead and to a winning position.”
“The basic idea is I bat at No. 3 and if the situation is tricky, I try to counterattack without playing outrageous shots. I felt today, we can string in a quick partnership in the first 20 balls. (On cheers when the batter ahead of him gets out) I honestly don’t feel good about it, I’ve seen it with MS too. I understand the crowd get excited. I just try to keep the focus on the game. I feel grateful, it’s a blessing (that people come and watch him). Makes me happy when I see happy faces,” he added.
Virat Kohli will return to action for the second ODI on Wednesday, January 14, in Rajkot.
Edited by Dev Sharma
