Tag: Virat Kohli

India ace batter Virat Kohli has paid tribute to New Zealand’s retiring batter Kane Williamson in a social media post. 

Kohli to the social media platform, recalling cherished memories alongside Williamson.

“From an opponent to a friend over the years. It’s been a pleasure watching you bat and compete against you over so many years but more than that, I value our friendship and shared perspectives on the game and beyond,” he wrote.

“I continue to cherish every time we speak or meet. Wishing you nothing but the best always brother. You’ve done your bit, you deserve to enjoy all of it now and put your feet up. Well done mate, life’s only just begun,” he added.

Earlier, Kane Williamson called time on his glittering international career spanning 15 years before the second Test against New Zealand at the Oval Cricket Ground.

Williamson made his debut for New Zealand in 2010 against India at Ahmedabad. He finished as the White Ferns’ highest run scorer, amassing 19,346, including 48 centuries and six double-centuries.

Widely regarded for his leadership style on the field, Kane finished his Test career at  9,515 runs at an average of 54.06, including 33 centuries.

Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!

His leadership style was much admired, and he captained the side in all three formats during a golden period from 2016 to 2024.

During that time, New Zealand reached two World Cup finals and three semi-finals, and won the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021.

He was named as the ICC Cricketer of 2015 and Test player of the year in 2019, while also winning the domestic Sir Richard Hadlee Medal on a record four occasions.

READ: Babar Azam pens heartfelt message on Kane Williamson’s retirement

India have been dealt a major blow ahead of their limited-overs assignment against Afghanistan, with star batter Virat Kohli ruled out of the upcoming ODI series due to a hamstring injury, which he suffered during the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

Kohli picked up the injury during the season finale while representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) against the Gujarat Titans.

Despite visibly struggling while running between the wickets, the former India captain continued his innings and played through discomfort in a high-pressure final that saw RCB clinch their second consecutive title.

However, the effort came at a cost, with medical reports confirming a hamstring issue that has now ruled him out of international duty.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

India’s schedule against Afghanistan begins with a one-off Test in New Chandigarh from June 6 to 10, followed by a three-match ODI series between June 13 and 20, to be played across Dharamsala, Lucknow, and Chennai.

Kohli’s absence adds to India’s selection concerns, with former captain Rohit Sharma also facing a race against time to regain full fitness.

Rohit has been included in the squad but remains subject to medical clearance after sustaining an injury during the IPL season.

India ODI squad for series against Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey.

READ: Bangladesh recall THIS all-rounder in ODI squad for Australia series

AHMEDABAD: Virat Kohli starred with an unbeaten half-century as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched back-to-back IPL titles with a win over Gujarat Titans on Sunday.

Chasing a stiff 156, RCB secured the victory in 18 overs, losing five wickets in the process.

Kohli sealed victory with a six to cap a magnificent 42-ball innings featuring nine fours and three sixes, then pointed to the stands as Bengaluru players sprinted out to celebrate.

Bengaluru and Kohli have been on a roll since they won their first IPL crown at the 18th attempt last year at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Kohli’s iconic number 18 jersey dominated the stands at the world’s biggest cricket ground, which recorded an official attendance of over 90,000 spectators on Sunday.

Kohli and fellow opener Venkatesh Iyer, who hit 32 off 16 balls, got Bengaluru off to a flying start in a 62-run partnership.

Mohammed Siraj broke the stand as he dismissed Iyer and Kagiso Rabada removed Devdutt Padikkal from the other end.

Rashid Khan struck twice in one over to send back skipper Rajat Patidar for 15 and Krunal Pandya to raise Gujarat’s hopes.

But Tim David and Kohli put on 41 runs to steady the chase. David fell for 24 but Kohli saw the team through with Jitesh Sharma for company.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Bengaluru’s quicks set up the victory as Rasikh Salam stood out with 3-27 in a disciplined attack alongside Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who both took two wickets each.

The trio justified the decision to put Gujarat in to bat, striking early and regularly. Only Washington Sundar offered much resistance as he scored a defiant 50 not out.

Hazlewood landed the first blow as he dismissed skipper Shubman Gill for 10 with Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar taking a fine running catch.

Kumar dislodged the other opener, Sai Sudharsan, for 12 in the next over.

Both Gill and Sudharsan were in the race for the Orange Cap awarded to the top scorer in the IPL season, but Rajasthan Royals’ 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ended top of the list with 776 runs.

Gill (732) and Sudharsan (722) finished second and third. Kohli was fourth with 675 runs, including one century.

Nishant Sindhu, who made 20, and Jos Buttler attempted to steady the Gujarat innings but struggled against a miserly attack and soon Salam removed Sindhu.

Krunal Pandya had Buttler stumped for 19 with his left-arm spin and Gujarat slumped to 73-4 in 12.1 overs.

Wickets continued to fall but Sundar stood firm to reach his fifty in the 20th over.

The effort was not enough as Gujarat ended runners-up for the second time in three finals, with their only triumph coming in their debut season in 2022.

READ: David Warner praises Arafat Minhas after record debut

Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be eyeing their second straight IPL title against an upbeat Gujarat Titans in the final at the 130,000-capacity Ahmedabad stadium on Sunday.

The 37-year-old Kohli has been central to Bengaluru’s efforts since their first title in the T20 tournament last year.

Batting great Kohli will be back at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s biggest cricket ground and the venue of Bengaluru’s triumph in 2025.

Bengaluru topped the 10-team table at the end of the league stage and beat Gujarat in the first play-off to secure direct entry into the final.

However, Gujarat bounced back from their defeat in style as they hammered Rajasthan Royals in the last play-off to qualify for their third final in five years, winning the title in 2022.

“In the IPL and actually in any form of cricket, you have to remain reasonably level regardless of the result,” Gujarat’s director of cricket Vikram Solanki said.

“If you come off the back of a defeat, you can’t get too low, because, more often than not, you’re preparing for the next game.”

Skipper Shubman Gill, who is also India’s Test and ODI captain, hit 104 in New Chandigarh on Friday. The 26-year-old has scored 722 runs, putting him second in the batting chart behind Rajasthan’s 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on 776.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Gill’s opening partner, Sai Sudharsan, is third with 710 runs. The pair have laid the foundation of Gujarat’s success.

“I can only imagine all of the work that Shubman has put in throughout his career to get to where he is, as far as batting is concerned,” said former England batter Solanki.

“He’s an exceptional young man. To be playing the cricket that he is, to be batting the way he is, is just phenomenal.”

Virat Kohli, who has stepped away from Test cricket and T20 internationals, has scored 600 runs this season, including one century and four half-centuries, at an average of 50.00 in 15 matches.

Bengaluru’s director of cricket, Mo Bobat, said: “Everybody understands what Virat Kohli brings, his intensity, his fight, his hunger”.

“Experience counts for a lot in pressure games, but I think it also speaks volumes for their personalities and character,” Bobat said.

Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar stepped up his game in the first qualifier, hammering an unbeaten 93 off 33 balls. His knock, after Kohli’s attacking 43, paved the way for Bengaluru’s mammoth total of 254 in a 92-run thrashing of Gujarat.

“Any team whose captain is playing well gets greater confidence from that,” said Bobat.

“We’re becoming accustomed to seeing these sorts of knocks from him now. He played some outrageous shots, but also really the aggressive intent… that’s leading by example.”

READ: ‘I’ll bowl at 200kph’: Shaheen Afridi reacts to questions over dip in pace

Veteran batting great Virat Kohli and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be in the spotlight as the T20 Indian Premier League spans the generations in the playoffs beginning on Tuesday.

There are 22 years between the 37-year-old Kohli, who helped power defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the top of the regular season standings, and teenage prodigy Sooryavanshi, whose batting fireworks have been the talk of the IPL season.

Kohli and Bengaluru will meet Gujarat Titans in the first “qualifying” play-off in Dharamsala on Tuesday, with the winner going straight into Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad.

Sooryavanshi and Rajasthan Royals sealed the final play-off berth only on Sunday and will meet Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday in Chandigarh, where the losers will go home.

The winner will face the loser of Tuesday’s qualifying playoff in the final eliminator on Friday in Chandigarh.

“We don’t pick age, we pick ability,” Rajasthan head coach Kumar Sangakkara said, referring to the 15-year-old rising star.

“All guys, young and old, have done well to drag us to qualification.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

England fast bowler Jofra Archer has also been instrumental in Rajasthan’s campaign, scoring 32 runs and taking 3-17 in the win that saw them into the last four.

Kohli, who has stepped away from Test cricket and T20 internationals, is chasing a second straight IPL title with Bengaluru after waiting 18 seasons to lift his first in 2025.

“Even after all these years, it is the love for the game. I just love hitting the ball in the middle of the bat. That joy is still there,” said Kohli, who is ninth on the IPL batting chart with 557 runs and a top score of 105 not out.

Sooryavanshi is fifth on 583 runs with a best of 103 off 37 balls.

Rajasthan’s opponents on Wednesday will be Sunrisers Hyderabad, who boast a formidable batting line-up featuring openers Travis Head of Australia, Abhishek Sharma, and South African Heinrich Klaasen, who has hammered 606 runs with six half-centuries.

The batting chart is topped by Gujarat Titans openers Sai Sudharsan (638 runs) and Shubman Gill (616).

Gujarat won the IPL in their debut season in 2022 and if they reach the final again will play the showpiece in their home 130,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

READ: Australia ready for Cameron Green’s trial on Pakistan tour

Travis Head and his wife Jessica have been subjected to a barrage of online abuse after the Australian cricketer was embroiled in a spat with India great Virat Kohli during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match.

The players clashed during the T20 match between Head’s Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday.

Heated words were exchanged between the two before Kohli was dismissed for 15 and his team slumped to a 55-run defeat.

As the two sets of players lined up for the post-game handshakes, Kohli ignored Head’s outstretched arm but shook hands with the other players.

The Instagram accounts for Head and Jessica have since been flooded with abusive comments, apparently from fans of the former India captain.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Jessica told The Advertiser newspaper that her friends and family had also received hateful private messages.

“I woke up to my socials blasting… we are fine, but they are attacking my friends and family,” she said Monday, according to the reports.

“Passion will always be part of sport, but so is remembering there are real people and families behind the game.

“Hopefully, this encourages more kindness and support for one another.”

She also said it felt like “a repeat of the abuse that happened after the World Cup”, referring to the 2023 50-over tournament when Australia beat hosts India in the final in Ahmedabad.

READ: Lionel Messi leaves MLS game in injury scare ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

HYDERABAD: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli declined a handshake with Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Travis Head after their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match on Friday.

The moment quickly drew attention after videos circulating on social media showed Kohli shaking hands with several SRH players, including captain Pat Cummins and opener Abhishek Sharma, before seemingly bypassing Head, who had extended his hand during the line-up.

The incident came after a tense exchange between the two players earlier during RCB’s run chase. Kohli was seen engaging in a verbal exchange with the Australian batter while Head was fielding, although the exact reason behind the interaction remains unclear.

Head later had an impact on the match with the ball after Kohli’s dismissal, picking up the wicket of RCB captain Rajat Patidar during the chase.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Earlier, Hyderabad posted a massive 255-4 after a dominant batting display. In response, Bengaluru needed at least 166 to secure a top-two finish in the league stage, and at least 178 to top the table.

They finished on 200-4 and ensured their top spot in the IPL 2026 points table.

RCB will now face the Gujarat Titans (GT), who finished second on the league table, in Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala on May 26.

Sunrisers Hyderabad finished third on the points table and will now feature in the Eliminator in New Chandigarh on May 27, while the race for the final playoff spot remains open between Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals.

READ: Pakistan to face England in Test before Ashes 2027: report

India’s ace batter Virat Kohli has revealed that he experienced imposter syndrome after stepping down as captain of the national team in 2022. 

Kohli credited Rahul Dravid and former batting coach Vikram Rathour for supporting him during a difficult phase of his career.

“I’ve said this many times about Rahul bhai and Vikram Rathour. I had a great phase in Test cricket, and whenever I meet them, I thank them from the bottom of my heart because they took care of me in a way that made me feel like I wanted to play for them,” Kohli said during an RCB event.

“I wanted to perform, grind it out, and do the hard work because they were so caring and nurturing. They reminded me of everything I had done so far – something you never really sit down and think about as a player,” he added.

The right-hander revealed that he experienced imposter syndrome after stepping down as captain of the Indian team, explaining that athletes often walk a thin line between caution and insecurity.

“As players, you’re always walking a very thin line between being cautious and being insecure. You constantly feel like you’re never good enough – that imposter syndrome is always there,” Kohli highlighted.

Impostor syndrome is the persistent, internalized belief that a successful person still feels they are not good enough or don’t deserve their success. They often think they achieved everything by luck and fear others will find out they are not as capable as they seem.

Virat spoke about the pressure during the net sessions, especially knowing that younger players are watching him.

“Even today, when I go into the nets, I still think: these youngsters are watching. If I have a bad session, they’ll probably wonder, ‘Is this the guy who’s been playing for 20 years?’ That thought is always there,” Kohli admitted.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

He further stated that leadership requires individuals to focus less on themselves and more on others, adding that he rarely thought about his own well-being during his years as captain.

“The reason you’re given a leadership role is because people believe you can take on more and still manage it. In many ways, leadership is more about management than even coaching. It’s about understanding the people playing with you and for you, and figuring out how to get the best out of them,” the 38-year-old said.

Kohli said that after reflecting on his journey, he realized almost no one had asked about his well-being for nearly nine years.

“To do that, you constantly have to be in a space where you’re not focused on yourself. You don’t even think about whether someone is going to ask you, ‘Are you okay?’ That thought doesn’t even cross your mind.”

“I did look back and realise that no one had really asked me that question for almost nine years – ‘How are you doing?” Kohli concluded.

For the unversed, Virat Kohli faced a turbulent period between 2020 and 2022, stemming from a prolonged lean patch, during which he failed to score a century across formats in 83 innings.

However, Kohli rediscovered his rhythm after stepping down from captaincy in 2022, making a remarkable comeback that culminated in a record-breaking run-scoring campaign at the 2023 ODI World Cup.

READ: Asad Shafiq ‘hopeful’ Pakistan can create history in Sylhet Test

Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer struck half-centuries to help defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru become the first team to qualify for the IPL 2026 play-offs with a 23-run win over Punjab Kings on Sunday.

In-form Kohli struck 58 off 37 balls before Venkatesh hit an unbeaten 73 to steer the team to 222-4 after being invited to bat first in the Himalayan hill town of Dharamsala.

The bowlers, led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, then restricted Punjab to 199-8 despite a late batting charge by Marcus Stoinis, who hit 37, and Shashank Singh, who made 56.

Bengaluru, who won their first IPL title in 18 attempts last year, consolidated top spot in the points table and secured their place in the play-offs.

Runners-up last year, Punjab, who started the season with six victories and one no-result, suffered their sixth successive defeat and are no longer in control of their fate.

The top four teams at the end of the league stage will make the playoffs in the 10-team tournament.

Virat Kohli, who blasted an unbeaten 105 in his team’s previous win, kept up his form as he hit four fours and three sixes to lay the foundation for Bengaluru’s total after losing his opening partner Jacob Bethell for 11.

He then put on 78 with the left-handed Devdutt Padikkal, who made 45, to rebuild the innings and hit back.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Kohli raised his fourth fifty of the season and 67th in the IPL before he finally fell to leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.

Venkatesh kept up the pace to reach his fifty as he clobbered the bowlers and put on an attacking fourth-wicket stand with Tim David, who made 28.

In reply, Punjab lost openers Priyansh Arya, for a duck, and Prabhsimran Singh, for two — both falling to Kumar’s seam bowling.

Punjab slipped further to 93-5 after skipper Shreyas Iyer (1), Cooper Connolly (37) and Suryansh Shedge (37) departed.

Impact substitute Stoinis and Shashank attempted to raise Punjab’s hopes in their partnership of 67 but disciplined bowling ensured a ninth win in 13 matches for Bengaluru.

Rasikh Salam took two wickets in the final over to return figures of 3-36.

READ: Babar Azam calls on batters to ‘play with pain’ after collapse

India batting great Virat Kohli said in a podcast released on Friday he would consider playing in the 2027 ODI Cricket World Cup if he can still “add value” to the team.

The 37-year-old Kohli, regarded as one of the most accomplished batsmen of his generation, is a hero to hundreds of millions of Indian fans.

“If I can add value to the environment that I’m a part of, and the environment feels like I can add value, I’ll be seen,” he said in the podcast posted by his IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

“If I’m made to feel like I need to prove my worth and my value, I’m not in that space.”

Kohli, who now only plays in the 50-over format for India, is the second-highest scorer in international cricket. But his India contract was downgraded from the top tier by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) this year.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“I want to play cricket and I want to carry on,” he said. “Playing a World Cup for India is amazing.”

“I am always ready because that’s my daily life. You know, I work out, we eat well at home. It is because I like living that way. It is not only to play cricket. So that is where I am. I mean, this 27 (2027 World Cup) chat and all that, honestly, for me, it is like, we are at like mid 26. But I’ve been asked so many times, do you want to play 27?,” he added.

Kohli bounced back from two consecutive ducks to hit an unbeaten 105 and lead defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a crucial win in the Indian Premier League this week.

It was his ninth hundred in the IPL, but his first this season

“After operating like this, if I have to be in a place where I have to prove my worth and value, that this is not meant to be for me,” he concluded.

Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket in 2025, having struggled for form since retiring from T20 internationals after India’s 2024 World Cup win.

READ: Sarfaraz Ahmed confirms Babar Azam’s availability for second Bangladesh Test