On January 28, while training with the Delhi Ranji Trophy team at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, India's top batter Virat Kohli met his childhood friend Shawez Khan. In a touching moment, the two boyhood pals gave one other a big hug and even posed for pictures when Kohli stopped to welcome Shawez and his son.
Virat meets Shawez's son
Shawez's son had the chance to get a bat signed by the cricket star and carried a hand-drawn sketch of Kohli, which further enhanced the momentous occasion. Kohli came at the Arun Jaitley Stadium earlier in the day to practice his back-foot batting with his Delhi teammates and participate in running drills with the rest of the Delhi Ranji team. With numerous other top players returning to domestic cricket, including India captain Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, his arrival has generated excitement among Indian cricket fans.
Kabir, Shewaz's son, told India Today that Kohli even gave him advise on the commitment and effort needed to wear the Indian jersey someday.
"I asked him how can I play for India?... He said 'You have to practice hard. And it shouldn't be your Papa telling you to go to practice. You should tell Papa, I have to go to practice'," Kabir said.
Virat Kohli's grand return to domestic cricket
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has placed a renewed focus on domestic success as a key criterion for international selection, and Kohli and the other Indian stars' return to domestic cricket is in line with this. Despite missing Delhi's last game against Saurashtra because of a neck sprain, Kohli is keen to contribute in the next encounter. It is imperative that he get back to his best after suffering through a slump in Test cricket, which included difficulties during India's loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
Despite the excitement surrounding Kohli's involvement, fans may not be able to watch the match live because no telecast or live-streaming has been confirmed. However, in recognition of Kohli's star value, the BCCI has ensured that the Arun Jaitley Stadium has extra protection.