Virat Kohli was devastated after Australia thrashed India by six wickets in the ODI World Cup 2023 final on November 19. Kohli, who was named the player of the tournament for his exceptional batting performance, ended the tournament as the top-scoring batter with 765 runs, but that wasn't enough for him to lift the coveted trophy. After Travis Head's sensational century guided Australia to a comfortable win, Kohli met his wife Anushka Sharma, who came to cheer him from the stands.
Just like every member of the Indian team and millions of fans across the globe, Kohli was shattered after India's embarrassing defeat in the World Cup final.
Anushka tried to console Kohli, who was visibly heartbroken, with a warm hug. The image of the couple has gone viral on social media, capturing the emotions of a nation that had pinned its hopes on the team.
Kohli scored a valiant 63-ball 54 before being dismissed by Australia's skipper, Pat Cummins. Even his dismissal sent shockwaves across the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, leaving even Anushka stunned. The couple's embrace amidst the heartbreak resonated with fans, reminding them of the power of love and support in the face of adversity.
Chasing a target of 241 runs, Australia rode on Travis Head's magnificent 120-ball 137 to clinch their 6th ODI World Cup title. Cummins had nothing but praise for his side after the match, having executed the perfect plan to outwit the Indian side on the big occasion.
Meanwhile, India skipper, who scored a blistering knock of 47, while ruing India's heartbreaking loss said,"I mean the result hasn't gone our way and we know that we were not good enough on the day. But proud of the team. It wasn't supposed to be. Honestly, 20-30 runs would've been good. I thought when KL and Virat were batting, we were looking at 270-280 at that point and we kept losing wickets."
When Australia were reeling at 47/3, Labuschagne (58 off 110) and Head came to Australia's rescue and stitched a match-winning 192-run partnership for the fourth wicket, which decided the course of the match.
“Australia stitched a big partnership after losing three wickets. With 240 on the board, we wanted early wickets but credit to Travis Head and Marnus. They put us completely out of the game and I thought the wicket got better to bat under lights. I mean we knew under lights, it would be better but don't want to give that as an excuse. We didn't bat well enough, but credit to those two guys in the middle for stitching that big partnership,” Rohit said in the post-match presentation.
Meanwhile, Cummins was all praise for his team after lifting the coveted trophy.
"I think we saved our best for last. Couple of big match players stood up, and we're pretty stuffed. We've been batting first pretty much for the whole tournament, today we thought, it's a good night to chase down, we thought it might actually get a little bit easier. Everyone was pretty keen to get out there. It was a bit slower than I thought, didn't particularly spin probably as much as we thought either. Everyone adjusted pretty well and bowled some tight lines," Cummins said after the match.
The heartbreaking defeat in the ODI World Cup final has dashed Virat Kohli's hopes of lifting the coveted trophy for the second time. Whether he will grace the field for another ODI World Cup remains a question mark.
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