Fans went to extraordinary lengths to watch Virat Kohli bat during the Vijay Hazare Trophy clash on Friday. Kohli was in action for Delhi in a crucial league stage match against Gujarat. The match, hosted at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1 in Bengaluru, was played behind closed doors.
Furthermore, there was no live broadcast and spectators not permitted inside the venue. However, that did little to dampen the enthusiasm of Kohli’s fans.
Several visuals circulating on social media showed fans climbing trees outside the ground, perching themselves on branches to catch a glimpse of the star cricketer in action. A few of them climbed on the water tanker near by, some 300 feet away from the ground. A few could also be sitting on top of a truck parked on the road on the other side of the ground.
Fans were well compensated for their efforts with Kohli in top form. After blocking the first ball, Kohli straight drove pacer Chintan Gaja for a four, manifesting his rich vein of form. While other Delhi batters were often pushed to a tight corner by Gujarat bowlers, Kohli was fluency personified in his pet format of the game.
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The 37-year-old reached his fifty in 29 balls that had 10 fours and a six in a wonderful exhibition of shot-making. It was the veteran batter's 85th List A half-century. A second century on the trot looked a certainty before he was stumped out for 77.
Virat Kohli signed up to play two matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy following BCCI's directive. The 37-year-old had last played the tournament more than 15 years ago in 2010. Now back for his state side, Kohli produced two masterful innings showcasing why he is among the greatest.
The former India captain first hammered a commanding 131 runs against Andhra Pradesh, and followed it up with a composed 77 against Gujarat, guiding his team through to victory in both games. While he missed out on a player of the match award vs Andhra, he did get his due on Friday.
