Team India locked horns with Sri Lanka in the final game of the three-match ODI series at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. In a country that worships the game, Indian cricketers are idolized more often than not, especially when it is someone of the stature of Virat Kohli. His fanfare was again evident on Sunday after a groundsman chose to keep the players waiting while he was clicking a selfie with a six-hit ball before returning it.
In the dead-rubber of the series on Sunday, the fans witnessed a slew of star performers with both bat and ball but none could match the feats that their former skipper Virat Kohli achieved. The 34-year-old ended up playing a phenomenal knock of 166 off 112 balls, registering his 46th ODI century in the process to inch ever closer to Sachin Tendulkar’s record.
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The knock also saw the talisman climb to fifth in the charts for the most runs by batters in ODI cricket, surpassing Mahela Jayawardene’s tally of 12,654 runs. What the talisman’s knock meant to the crowd, even in a dead rubber, was on display during the 46th over of the first innings in an incident that had Twiteratti buzzing.
Bludgeoning along on 128 off 96 deliveries, Virat Kohli decided to go hard on Kasun Rajitha by heaving his first ball of the over for six with utmost class and grace. The Kookaburra hit the sightscreens and remained stranded beyond the boundary fence, creating the requirement to fetch the ball for play to resume.
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A sporting groundsman was quick to take up the responsibility and zoomed across seats to somehow get to the ball. While everyone waited for him to return the white rock to play, the fan audaciously whipped out his smartphone from his pocket. The big screens, realizing what was occurring, focused on the events as well and the entire audience saw the boy click a photo with the ball with bated breath.
Here is the video of the six from Virat Kohli:
https://twitter.com/minibus2022/status/1614613596398571521?s=20&t=VlIZUJLano7YCbFRKpmzFA
The groundsman simply could not stop grinning after having captured the photo and instantly becoming a fan-favourite amongst the online cricketing fraternity for his cheeky antics.
https://twitter.com/SristiK79307287/status/1614586166313123841?s=20&t=3GAje4hOuALNuTnIrz99rA
Loved the guy who took a selfie with the ball hit for huge 6 by Virat . What an amazing innings both from Virat and Gill.
— cricfan (@CrickidaV) January 15, 2023
Not the cleaner taking selfie of the ball of Virat shot ππ
— π»ππ«ππππ£π πππ©|| #IlCey lovebot πͺΈπ (@DreamDizi) January 15, 2023
He's taking Selfie with Ball π€¦ββοΈπ . #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/x6aE8Wn7FJ
— Anam π΅πΈ (@CmonCheeks) January 15, 2023
https://twitter.com/KaranKashyap87/status/1614584695358099456?s=20&t=51fhv5AZZQyAjRi_d7oLAQ
The boy who goes to collect the ball from beneath the sheets behind the sightscreen after Kohli's 6, gets it, flips out his phone to take a selfie with the it! π
Sensible thing even under immense pressure to return it immediately! Holds everyone up for his glory shot!#INDvSL— Dr.Titas Kar (@titask9) January 15, 2023
Haan ball ke saath selfie lele pehle
— shivam (@shivvamm8) January 15, 2023
Spectator is taking selfie with ball that went in stands before throwing it back to play ππ
— All About Cricket (@allaboutcric_) January 15, 2023
Kohli 166 π₯π₯Fans cricket ball selfie π€³π»π₯π₯π₯ pic.twitter.com/B0PeDVSAwH
— New Update (@NewUpda11618548) January 15, 2023
