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Virat Kohli Photograph: (Google Gemini)
Virat Kohli’s bond with fans is legendary, but a recent interaction ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara struck a particularly emotional chord. A young admirer, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Kohli’s childhood photographs, went viral after meeting the Indian batting icon earning himself the affectionate nickname “chhota cheeku” from Kohli.
The former India captain was visibly delighted when he came across the young fan and could not stop smiling while signing autographs. The child later shared details of the memorable encounter in a viral video, recalling Kohli’s warmth and humility.
“I like Kohli’s style and aura. I just shouted his name once and he looked back at me. He came over, said hi and told me that he would return in a while,” the fan said. Kohli later pointed him out to Rohit Sharma, jokingly calling him his “duplicate,” before affectionately dubbing him “chhota cheeku.” The youngster also revealed that he met Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Arshdeep Singh during the interaction.
Kohli’s Near-Miss Century
On the field, Kohli endured mixed emotions during the opening ODI. Chasing a target of 301, he looked set for his 54th ODI century before being dismissed for 93 by Kyle Jamieson, falling just seven runs short. India, however, completed the chase comfortably to seal a four-wicket victory.
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Records Continue to Fall
Despite missing out on a hundred, Kohli achieved significant milestones. He became the fastest batter to reach 28,000 international runs, accomplishing the feat in just 624 innings,20 fewer than Sachin Tendulkar. He also surpassed Kumar Sangakkara to move into second place on the all-time international run-scorers list.
A Champion On and Off the Field
Whether breaking records or winning hearts, Kohli continues to leave an indelible mark, proving once again that his greatness extends far beyond the cricket field.
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