One of India’s most favourite cricketing sons, Virat Kohli celebrates his 32nd birthday on Thursday. Reigning supreme as the poster boy of modern-day cricket, the Indian skipper shares a special bond with Vizag, much to the delight of the local fans. As Virat Kohli continues to thrill fans across the globe with his exemplary skill, we revisit 4 of his memorable knocks at Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
#1 157 vs West Indies, 2018
Virat Kohli extended his love affair with Visakhapatnam when India locked horns with West Indies for an ODI in 2018. Oozing class right from the word go, the Indian skipper looked unstoppable at the crease. Smashing the opposition to all parts of the ground, Kohli went on to slam a breathtaking 157* to help India post a mammoth total on the board. The marathon knock also saw him surpass the 10,000 run mark in ODI cricket.
#2 167, 81 vs England, 2016
Visakhapatnam hosted its first Test match in 2016 and lighting up the special occasion was none other than Virat Kohli. Taking on a strong England unit, Kohli led India from the front to score a majestic 167 in the first innings. He then followed it up with 81 in the second innings to play a crucial role in helping India defeat the visitors by a thumping margin. Sharing his special bond with Vizag in the post-match presentation, Virat Kohli said that the ground has been lucky for him.
#3 118 vs Australia, 2010
Chasing a daunting 290 for victory against Australia, the Indian team had its task cut out in the absence of seasoned top-order players. While Shihar Dhawan accounted for a duck on his debut, his opening partner Murali Vijay too couldn’t amount to much. The onus though was taken over by a young Virat Kohli who was playing his first game in Vizag. Slamming a well-compiled 118 to entertain the local crowd, Kohli stood out as the centrepiece of India’s chase as the hosts won the game by 5 wickets.
#4 65 vs New Zealand, 2016
While Kohli might have missed out on adding another century to his kitty, his fluent knock of 65 helped India’s cause nonetheless. Scoring a crucial half-century on a difficult pitch against New Zealand, Kohli stitched important partnerships with Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni to power India to a respectable total in the first innings. With Amit Mishra blowing the Kiwis away with the ball, the Men in Blue ended up registering a handsome victory.
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