[Watch] Virat Kohli gears up for homecoming ahead of India vs Afghanistan 2023 World Cup match
Veteran Indian batter Virat Kohli is set to return to Delhi, this time in a World Cup game against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, October 11. The preparation from Kohli as usual seemed top-notch, with him sweating it out in the nets session on the eve of the game.
Kohli, along with others from India's World Cup squad, were seen working hard on their primary skills and later also had an intense fielding session where they practiced catches under the lights.
Here's a video posted by the BCCI:
Virat Kohli on playing again in Delhi
Very few people have the privilege to be playing in a stadium with a pavilion named after them and Virat Kohli has certainly earned the right, given what he has achieved for the country over the years.
In a recent interview with KL Rahul on the BCCI's official website, Kohli opened up on his emotions about returning to the ground where it all started for him in terms of being a professional cricketer. He said:
"Of course for me that's a place where I have played my age-group cricket, Ranji trophy cricket and for India as well. So that memory is always fresh as when you go back into those memories you can feel it because that's where everything started.
"It's a bit awkward for me to be still playing and playing in front of a pavilion named after me.
Kohli further added:
"I don't like to talk a lot about it but it's a great honor and I hadn't thought that it would happen when my career started and I feel great to go back and see the things that have happened."
With the pitch likely to not provide as much grip as it did in Chennai, India might include Shardul Thakur in their XI instead of Ravichandran Ashwin against Afghanistan.