Virat Kohli, an important part of Team India, drove cricket fans into a frenzy by agreeing to bowl in the 2023 World Cup match against Bangladesh on Thursday (October 19) in Pune.
It was a forced change when all-rounder Hardik Pandya hurt himself while bowling in the ninth over of the first innings. Pandya attempted to block the ball with his leg in the follow-through after the Bangladesh batsman smashed it straight.
As the ball was hit, he couldn’t prevent it and lost his balance, tumbling to the ground. The Indian physiotherapist attended to Pandya on the field before helping him off with a limp. In response, Team India captain Rohit Sharma called upon Kohli to complete the remainder of the over. Kohli delivered three balls and allowed two runs before concluding the over.
Fans eagerly anticipated Kohli’s return to part-time bowling after a hiatus of over six years. Many took to social media platforms to share their excitement and creativity through memes. Here are some of the best ones:
Usman Khawaja Praises Virat Kohli as the Best Run Chaser in ODI Cricket
Usman Khawaja, Australia’s Test opener, has stated that Virat Kohli is better than Sachin Tendulkar in ODIs. He supported his point of view by citing Kohli’s incredible record in less games than Tendulkar.
Usman Khawaja stated in a video posted on YouTube by Fox Cricket:
“I am going to say Virat (Kohli) is better than Sachin Tendulkar in ODIs. If you look at the stats, he has almost taken over how many hundreds he (Tendulkar) has got, and he has played so many more less games. Sachin was the benchmark for when I grew up, but what Virat Kohli is doing right now—no one has ever done that in the game.”
“He is the greatest of the run chasers that we have seen in One-Day cricket. The thing I love about Virat is his consistency. The reason I believe he is so consistent over such a long period of time is that he is the greatest two and four-hitter I have seen. He doesn’t hit a lot of sixes in ODIs.”
Usman Khawaja