Ahead of India's final match of the Super 12 of the ongoing 2022 T20 World Cup, star India batter Virat Kohli was grateful to all his fans, colleagues, former colleagues and well-wishers for their birthday wishes on his 34th birthday on Saturday, November 6. The former India skipper shared a story on his Instagram profile that read, "Blessed to receive all your love. Thank you for your warm wishes".
Kohli celebrated his birthday along with his teammates on the sidelines of the T20 World Cup. The in-form star is the highest run-getter of the World Cup, having scored 220 runs in his four matches till now. His knocks helped India secure a spot in the semifinals as well, with wins over Pakistan, the Netherlands and Bangladesh. The only time he failed to score more than 50 runs was in India's loss to South Africa.
The batter also became the leading run scorer in the history of the men's T20 World Cup. He completed this feat during India's win over Bangladesh on Wednesday, November 2. Earlier, the record was held by former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene at 1016 runs, with his 1065 runs.
(Photo credit: Virat Kohli's Instagram story)
The former skipper's unbeaten 81 off 53 balls at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) gave the Men in Blue a hard-fought four-wicket win over bitter rivals Pakistan in their opening match on October 23.
"When I come here (in Australia), it does not feel alien to me anymore. I get a very comfortable feeling here. When you perform here, you get that respect. I realise it now, it is not just about our fans but when I step out on road, the locals here meet and approach me and I feel happy to see them," Kohli said in a video shared by BCCI on his birthday.
Meanwhile, before heading into their match against Zimbabwe on Sunday, November 6, India's place in the semifinals was secured after South Africa were stunned by the Netherlands in their must-win final group match in Adelaide on Sunday. South Africa's defeat means either Pakistan or Bangladesh will join India as the second semi-finalist from Group 2.
