Last Updated: January 20, 2023, 13:20 IST
A Virat Kohli painting in Raipur.
The Indian team will face New Zealand at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur on January 21.
After a thrilling victory in the first ODI against New Zealand, Team India arrived in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur for the second encounter. The team was received with much enthusiasm by fans. However, it was a welcome special poster of Virat Kohli that caught everyone’s attention. In the photo, shared on Twitter, fans have painted an entire wall with an image of the star India batter. The painting features Kohli probably celebrating a century with his hands spread as he looks up. ‘Kohli has the streets, King of World Cricket,” read the caption posted with the video. Kohli’s fans will be hoping to see a recreation of this image when Kohli walks out to bat in the second ODI.
Virat Kohli failed to make a big impression in the first game against New Zealand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. He scored a paltry eight runs in 10 balls before being bowled out by Mitchell Santner. That said, Shubman Gill stepped up to the plate, scoring a superb double-century, helping India post an enormous target of 349 runs. The Kiwis also put up a brave fight as Michael Bracewell scored a blistering 140-run knock, but eventually fell 12 runs short of the intended target. The high-scoring encounter saw impressive batting displays from both sides.
Virat Kohli was in explosive form in the ODI series against Sri Lanka prior to the Black Caps. He blasted two centuries against the Lankans, accumulating a total of 283 runs in three innings. He also bagged the player of the series award for his splendid contributions. The 34-year-old batter also jumped up a couple of places in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings. Kohli is now placed fourth in the latest list of ODI batters with 750 points. Babar Azam holds the top position on this list with 887 rating points. With the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup on the horizon, Kohli’s rise in form has come at a great time for this Indian side.
The Indian team will face New Zealand at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur on January 21. The third and final ODI of the series will take place at the Holkar Stadium, Madhya Pradesh on January 24.
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