Virat Kohli and company meet Sir Viv Richards ahead of first test
(L-R) KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane, Sir Vivian Richards, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Stuart Binny, Murali Vijay
The Indian Cricket Team arrived in Antigua on Monday after the conclusion of the second of their two warmup games against the Board President’s XI. First up on their schedule was an intense training session at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Monday morning, before they had the honour of spending an evening with Sir Vivian Richards in Antigua.
The charimsatic West Indies legend had plenty of words of encouragement for members of the Indian team as they geared up for the first Test on the 21st of July. He congratulated Virat Kohli on his performances against Australia where he recorded 4 Test centuries in 2014-2015. He had certainly taken note of Kohli’s emergence as a Test batsman and further added that he admired Virat Kohli’s aggression, a trait Vivan Richards embodied during his magical career.
Read: India probable playing XI for the first Test
He had words of praise reserved for stylish right hander Ajankya Rahane as well, adding that Rahane’s calm demenour coupled with his solid technique makes him a great batsman. He went on a trip down memory lane when Stuart Binny introduced himself, recalling the duel he had with Stuart’s dad, Roger Binny during the final of the 1983 World Cup.
Vivian Richards signed off saying that the team should never back down when confronted with a challenge and that they were a fit and strong bunch who are capable of doing very well. This is not the first connection Vivan Richards has had with Indian cricket, he was the mentor of IPL team Delhi Daredevils as well for a brief period.
Chronicling Team India’s journey: From landing in Antigua to meeting Sir Vivian Richards
The team arrives for a hard training session:
Words of wisdom from the great man:
The BCCI mincing no words here:
Virat Kohli signs off the special meeting: