[Watch] Virat Kohli walks out to rousing reception from the Eden Gardens crowd on his 35th birthday in the IND vs SA 2023 World Cup clash
Star batter Virat Kohli walked out to a roaring welcome from a packed house at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 5. The champion batter, who turned 35 today, entered the arena at the fall of skipper Rohit Sharma for a breathtaking 40 off 24 balls in the blockbuster top-of-the-table clash against South Africa.
A fan favorite all around the country, Kohli has thrilled fans in Kolkata with his incredible batting, including three international centuries and one IPL century at the venue. The 35-year-old averages a spectacular 50 at a strike rate of 90 in ODIs at Kolkata.
Here is a video of the electrifying moment of the crowd chanting 'Kohli, Kohli' upon the batter's entry:
King Kohli has been in breathtaking form throughout the 2023 World Cup, with 442 runs at an average of over 88. He is the tournament's third-highest run-scorer, behind only Quinton de Kock and Rachin Ravindra.
The modern great, who is currently on 48 ODI tons, is looking to level Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI centuries. Following a match-winning century against Bangladesh, Kohli missed reaching the three-figure mark twice as he was dismissed for 95 and 88 against New Zealand and Sri Lanka respectively.
Team India are looking to maintain their unbeaten streak in the 2023 World Cup
Team India remain the only undefeated side of the 2023 World Cup, having won all seven games thus far to become the first team to qualify for the semi-final.
Skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first on a good-looking pitch in Kolkata. The openers, Rohit and Shubman Gill, thrilled the crowd with a boundary-fest, racing to 62/0 in the sixth over.
However, Kagiso Rabada struck in his first over to remove the skipper for a quick-fire 40. Gill followed his skipper after being undone by a peach from Keshav Maharaj for 23 off 24 balls.
Kohli has looked in ominous touch after the initial few deliveries to race to a run-a-ball 35 at the time of writing, with Shreyas Iyer giving him company on 10. The Men in Blue are rebuilding the innings to set up a blistering finish and are 122/2 in 19 overs.
While both teams have booked their place in the semi-final, the winner will likely finish on top of the points table. India will also complete a hat-trick over the Proteas in ODI World Cups with a victory in the ongoing game, following wins in the 2015 and 2019 editions.