“Everyone loves Virat Kohli”: Cricket royalty unites to celebrate his ODI wizardry

In a recent video shared on the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) official Instagram account, renowned cricket players, including Vikramjit Singh, Trent Boult, Steven Smith, Shubman Gill, Ravichandran Ashwin, and India’s men’s cricket team head coach, Rahul Dravid, came together to pay tribute to the former Indian skipper.

Dutch batsman Vikramjit Singh succinctly put it, “Everyone loves Virat Kohli.”

Kiwi star pacer Trent Boult acknowledged Kohli’s ability to apply immense pressure on bowlers, stating, “He is a quality player who creates a lot of pressure on the bowler.”

Australian cricket legend Steven Smith described Kohli as one of the all-time great one-day players, declaring, “Arguably the best one-day player of all time.”

Rahul Dravid, India’s head coach and a former player, praised Kohli’s contribution to the ODI format, saying, “Virat’s a legend of the game, especially in the ODI format; he has set a benchmark for the players of his generation.”Young Indian opener, Shubman Gill, admired Kohli’s unparalleled hunger and passion for the game, asserting, “His hunger and passion for the game is unparalleled. I have not seen anyone who is as hungry and passionate towards the game as him.”Star Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin commended Kohli’s unmatched dedication to practice, stating, “The discipline he brings to the table, the way he practices before a game is unmatchable.”
In India’s first ODI World Cup match against Australia, Virat Kohli played a crucial role by delivering an impressive 85-run performance. His innings helped India recover from a challenging start in the second inning and secure a victory.

In the match against Australia, the opening partnership of Mitchell Marsh and David Warner initially showed promise for the Aussies. However, India’s spin bowling trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravichandran Ashwin put up a remarkable performance, dismissing the Australians for a total of 199 runs. Jadeja secured three wickets, while Kuldeep and Jasprit Bumrah each claimed two wickets. Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, and Ashwin also took one wicket each in the fifth ODI World Cup match.

In the second inning, Australia made an early breakthrough by dismissing Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer without any runs on the board. Nevertheless, Virat Kohli (85 runs from 116 balls) and KL Rahul (97* runs from 115 balls) formed a resilient 165-run partnership, leading India to a convincing six-wicket victory over Australia.