Following his victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies, Virat Kohli is back in action in the current ODI series against Sri Lanka. On August 2, he participated in and scored 24 runs off of 32 balls in the opening One-Day International of the three-match series in Colombo. The game finished in a tie. Before signing autographs on memorabilia, Kohli engaged in light discussion with his Sri Lankan admirers ahead of the second ODI at the same location.
One of the few cricket players with a worldwide following, Kohli never misses an opportunity to be himself. A teenage cricketer from Sri Lanka gave him a silver bat inscribed with each century during the 2023 Asia Cup. When Kohli joked with a fan about having the bat brought for his autograph once he was back in Colombo, the crowd erupted in laughter.
Should I put my signature on it? “You said it’s for me, so why are you telling me to sign it?” exclaimed Kohli.
Watch the video of Virat Kohli’s interaction with fans:
Virat Kohli – the sweetest and the most humble guy!
Virat – “shall I sign it? You said na it’s for me then you’re saying to sign it?! (Smiles)”. pic.twitter.com/97a89KbQhl
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 1, 2024
Following his team’s recent World Cup victory on June 29, the 36-year-old announced his retirement from the Twenty20 international format. With the Indian team’s busy schedule leading up to the Champions Trophy in 2025, he will play in Tests and ODIs. In the T20 World Cup final against South Africa, he delivered a game-changing knock to cap off his T20I career. As India rallied from a top-order collapse to produce a formidable 176 runs, he struck 76 off 59.
Also Read: Watch: In the1st ODI against Sri Lanka, with 14 balls left, Arshdeep Singh channels Shannon Gabriel to tie the score
When we went to bat tonight, I said to Rohit, “One day you feel like you can’t get a run, and then you come out and things happen.” God is awesome. I bowed my head in appreciation. Kohli remarked following the game, “I am really appreciative that I was able to get the job done for the team on the day it mattered the most.”
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