Virat Kohli, the star player of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), along with his wife Anushka Sharma, returned to Mumbai on May 22 after RCB's elimination from the IPL 2023 playoffs. Despite Kohli's outstanding performances in his last two IPL matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Gujarat Titans (GT), Bangalore couldn't secure a spot in the playoffs. Kohli showcased his brilliance with back-to-back centuries, with his most recent knock of 101 runs off 61 balls, including 13 boundaries and a six, at a strike rate of 165.67. However, despite Kohli's heroics, Gujarat Titans, the defending champions, emerged victorious as Shubman Gill played a masterful innings of 104 not out off 52 balls. They successfully chased down the target with five balls to spare, winning the match by six wickets. Kohli had an exceptional season individually, accumulating 639 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 139.82. He scored two centuries and six half-centuries, contributing significantly to RCB's campaign as they finished sixth with 14 points from 14 matches.
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma spotted at CSMI Airport, Mumbai#ViratKohli #RCBvsGT #RCB pic.twitter.com/YMgQiLSSKP
— VIRAT_OFFICIAL_FAN_PAGE18 (@viratcrickters) May 22, 2023
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Now, Kohli's focus shifts to the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and Australia. The highly anticipated clash will commence on June 7 at the Oval in London. Kohli will be aiming to carry forward his sublime form with the bat into the prestigious Test championship match. His record against Australia speaks volumes, having amassed 1979 runs in 24 Tests at an impressive average of 48.27. This includes eight centuries and five fifties. Additionally, Kohli has displayed his prowess in England, scoring 1033 runs in 16 Tests at an average of 33.32, featuring two centuries and five half-centuries. Notably, in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Kohli smashed 186 runs, although the match concluded in a draw. However, Team India emerged victorious in the series with a 2-1 win.
Kohli's return to international cricket in the WTC final promises to be an exciting and pivotal moment for Indian cricket fans, as they eagerly await his exceptional batting skills to shine once again on the grand stage.
India’s squad for WTC final: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan (wk).
Standby players: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mukesh Kumar, Suryakumar Yadav.
