Even before he faced his first ball, Virat Kohli was the centre of considerable attention in Chennai, at the India v Australia match, the first for both teams at the 2023 World Cup.
The stadium turned blue as a huge crowd gathered at Chepauk to support the Indian national team in their first home World Cup match. When Australia asked India to bowl first, the obvious suspects on the field were met with chants and cheers from the crowd.
Kohli continued to applaud during and after the power play, urging the audience to cheer for the team between deliveries. His wish was soon granted. Kohli raised his hand and the audience immediately turned up the volume.
In the 33rd over, Jasprit Bumrah came into play and Kohli was as active as ever, sprinting to boost morale. While he slowly clapped again and called on the crowd to cheer for the team, a local DJ called on the microphone for the crowd to cheer for Kohli.
What a frame.
– King Kohli of Chepauk. pic.twitter.com/W4RyTDIbNR
– Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) 8. October 2023
The former India captain quickly turned around and pointed at the DJ, as if to say, “Why are you rooting for me?” and then pointed at Bumrah, motioning for the bowler to cheer for him instead.
“Virat asks you to cheer for Bumrah instead,” the DJ says, and the crowd soon switches to cheering for India instead. He may not be the captain anymore, but he’s still a crowd favorite.
Earlier in the day, Kohli was seen talking to ‘Jarbo 69’, a serial pitch intruder who interrupted pre-match negotiations.
Follow the match live here, including live scores, updates and statistics.
To bet on the World Cup with our Match Centre Partners bet365 head here.
