CAB plans to distribute 70,000 Virat Kohli masks during IND vs SA match of 2023 World Cup to celebrate his 35th birthday
Team India's star batter Virat Kohli will celebrate his 35th birthday on November 5. The Men in Blue are scheduled to take on South Africa in the ongoing 2023 World Cup at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Kohli's special day.
On the occasion of Kohli's birthday, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has planned a special celebration at the venue. They will distribute 70,000 'Kohli masks' for spectators for the match between India and South Africa.
Apart from the masks, CAB has also planned a cake-cutting and felicitation ceremony for Kohli ahead of the encounter. Speaking to the reporters, CAB president Snehasish Ganguly stated:
"We hope to get an approval from the ICC on this. We want to make the day special for Virat. We want every fan in the stadium wearing Kohli masks when he walks in. We plan to distribute about 70,000 masks that day."
It is worth mentioning that a similar celebration took place at Eden Gardens in 2013 when Sachin Tendulkar stepped out to play his last Test match at the venue. The members of the crowd were handed Tendulkar masks and placards on the first two days of the match.
Virat Kohli has been in impressive form in the 2023 World Cup
Virat Kohli played a spectacular knock under pressure during India's opening match of the 2023 World Cup against Australia. They found themselves in a precarious position after Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Shreyas Iyer bagged ducks.
Kohli and KL Rahul steered the ship out of choppy waters, scoring 85 and 97*, respectively, as the Men in Blue completed a six-wicket win. He followed it up with an unbeaten 55-run knock against Afghanistan.
The right-handed batter failed to make a significant impact against Pakistan, mustering just 16 runs. He bounced back by notching up his 48th ODI century in the subsequent contest, scoring 103* against Bangladesh.
Kohli narrowly missed out on another century in the following game against New Zealand, getting out on 95. The seasoned campaigner struggled to get going against England, as he was dismissed for a nine-ball duck.
Having chalked up 354 runs from six outings at an average of 88.50, Virat Kohli is currently the second-highest run-getter for Team India in the ongoing ICC event.