On the 35th birthday, Virat Kohli, the celebrated cricketer, found himself engaged in a convivial conversation with his former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammate, Quinton de Kock. This amiable exchange unfolded in the midst of a thrilling 2023 World Cup showdown between India and South Africa, held at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The particular incident in question occurred during the 21st over of India’s innings. Quinton de Kock, now donning the South African jersey, passionately appealed for a caught-behind dismissal as Keshav Maharaj delivered a tantalizing tossed-up delivery that veered away past the forward defense.
Initially, the on-field umpire, Kumar Dharamsena, turned down the appeal, ruling Kohli not out. However, this decision prompted the Proteas to challenge it by invoking the review system. As the replays unfurled on the big screen, it was evident that there was no discernible edge between Kohli’s bat and the ball.
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Meanwhile, Kohli, a paragon of confidence and composure, maintained a confident countenance, punctuated by a warm smile, while exchanging words with the South African players. This delightful interaction transpired as a backdrop to the broader narrative of the match.
India found themselves in a precarious position earlier on, with their openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill succumbing to the Proteas’ bowlers at 40 (off 24 balls) and 23 (off 24 balls) runs, respectively. Kagiso Rabada secured the initial breakthrough for South Africa by executing a brilliant catch to dismiss Rohit Sharma, courtesy of Temba Bavuma’s fielding prowess at mid-on.
Following this, Keshav Maharaj, with his impeccable delivery, managed to send Shubman Gill back to the pavilion.
As the game unfolded, India steadied their innings and, at the time of writing, stood at 199/2 after 33 overs, with Kohli contributing a commendable 56 runs off 75 balls and Shreyas Iyer delivering an equally impressive performance with 62 runs off 75 balls.
It’s worth noting that India had won the toss and opted to maintain an unchanged lineup, following a resounding 302-run victory over Sri Lanka in their previous match. South Africa, on the other hand, made a solitary change to their playing XI, replacing Gerald Coetzee with Tabraiz Shamsi. Both India and South Africa had already secured their places in the World Cup semifinals.
With India entering the contest on the back of an undefeated seven-game winning streak, while the Proteas had achieved six victories out of seven matches in this prestigious ICC event. Notably, South Africa’s sole defeat came at the hands of the Netherlands, albeit by a margin of just 38 runs, and their most recent triumph was a nail-biting one-wicket victory over Pakistan, achieved through a successful chase.