(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] Virat Kohli is all set for a homecoming as Team India is in readiness to face Afghanistan at Kohli’s home ground, Arun Jaitley Stadium (formerly Feroz Shah Kotla), on 11th October in the ninth match of the Cricket World Cup 2023.
Kohli, who recently played a crucial match-winning knock of 85 runs off 116 balls, pulled off a thriller against Australia on Sunday in Chennai. India started their campaign with a six-wicket win, and it’s safe to say that Kohli’s heroics, alongside KL Rahul’s unbeaten 97-run knock, were the main difference between India’s victory and Australia’s loss.
India will next face Afghanistan, and the match will see the return of Kohli to his home ground. The last time he played an ODI in Delhi was in March 2019 against Australia.
In September 2019, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) had unveiled a new pavilion stand at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in honour of Kohli to pay tribute to his illustrious career. This is the first time that the batter will play at his home ground after the inauguration of the pavilion named after him.
The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) released a special conversational video between Kohli and Rahul after the win over Australia, in which the former was seen talking about playing in front of the ‘Virat Kohli Pavilion.’
“For me, that is the stadium where I grew up playing age-group, Ranji cricket. I also played for India there. Those memories stay fresh in your mind. You can feel it because that is where everything started, selectors saw you for the first time and gave you an opportunity. It is special to go back and play at Arun Jaitley Stadium,” Kohli said as quoted in a video released on bcci.tv.
“It is awkward for me to be playing in front of a pavilion named after me. I do not like to talk about it a lot. But it is a great honohonor I feel happy and grateful about it, it is something I never felt would happen to me,” he added.