Mohali, March 4: Former India captain Virat Kohli, who is at the tip of playing his 100th Test match, was felicitated with a specially made Test cap on Friday. The prized memento was given to him by his childhood hero and now team coach Rahul Dravid.
Giving away the special cap, Dravid said, “It is well deserved, well earned, and hopefully it is just the start of many things to come. As we say in the dressing room, double it up.” In reply, Kohli, who was standing next to his wife Anushka Sharma, said it is a special moment for him and next gen players can take away from him is that he played 100 games in the purest form. “It is a special moment for me. My wife is here and so is my brother. Everyone is very proud. It is indeed a team game and it couldn’t have been possible without you. Thanks to the BCCI as well. In present-day cricket, with the amount we play with three formats and an IPL, the one takeaway the next generation can take from me is that I played 100 games in the purest format,” he said.
Kohli has been Test cricket’s biggest cheerleader for a while. Mohali is where it all started for him in a way and now he returns here as a part of Rohit Sharma’s team. It is time to shine the spotlight on Kohli-the-player, who has not got big scores under his belt in recent times. This team, of course, needs Kohli more than ever, especially in the absence of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. Without them, India are vulnerable in the middle order, but it is time for India to look ahead and try to find solutions with some new faces onboard. Because of this, this series will make scribes to script a new era. The Test is also set to feature Jasprit Bumrah’s vice-captaincy and Mohammed Siraj’s persistence.
