[Watch] Bengaluru crowd erupts in loud cheer for Virat Kohli on Day 1 of IND vs NZ 2024 1st Test
Team India ace batter Virat Kohli enjoys a tremendous fan following in Bengaluru, given that he has been associated with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) since the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He returned to RCB's home ground for India's Test series opener against New Zealand.
The first Test of the three-match series was set to kick off on Wednesday, October 16. However, the toss was delayed due to rain and the morning session was washed out. Amid the rain, Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal headed for an indoor practice session at the stadium.
The Bengaluru crowd couldn't keep calm as Kohli walked towards the stands and cheered loudly for the former RCB skipper.
You can watch the video of the incident below:
It is worth mentioning that Virat Kohli is just 53 runs away from becoming the fourth Indian to score 9,000 runs in Test cricket. He is set to join Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar on the elite list.
"Virat Kohli is at that stage in his career where he just wants to try and win games for India" - Mike Hesson
Former New Zealand cricketer Mike Hesson opined that Virat Kohli's primary focus is winning games for India and not his individual scores. He suggested that this version of Kohli would be a worry for the opposition teams.
Hesson told Jio Cinema (via India Today):
"I think Virat Kohli is at that stage in his career where he just wants to try and win games for India. And I think that's a dangerous stage for other sides, because if he’s doing that rather than focusing on numbers, the big scores will come naturally."
Speaking about the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, Hesson said that Kohli's ability to hold the tempo will be crucial for the Men in Blue, adding:
"The ability to hold a tempo in Australia is so important—being able to counterattack and knowing the right moments to do so. As mentioned, from 30 to 60 overs is a key phase. If Kohli is batting at that point, he won’t let the game drift. It’s about finding gaps, hitting gaps, getting ones and twos, and then, if they try and attack him, then he can counterattack."
The five-match Test series between India and Australia will kick off in Perth on November 22.