Former India captain Virat Kohli was dismissed for a run-a-ball six on his home Test return against Bangladesh in the first match of a two-game series in Chennai on Thursday. This was the 35-year-old’s first Test match on Indian soil since March 2023 and he received a rousing reception from fans when he came out to bat at the M Chidambaram Stadium. However, he ended up playing a loose shot outside the off-stump to hand Bangladesh a dream start to the match in the morning session.
However, Kohli has gone viral for his pre-match act, instead of his dismissal. During the warm-up, Kohli pulled off a hilarious prank on spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who did not find a place in the playing XI.
Kuldeep was doing his pre-match stretching using a resistance band. However, Kohli grabbed him with the help of the band to drag him across the ground.
Kohli also got a helping hand from Rishabh Pant who was seen holding Kuldeep’s legs while the former India captain was pulling the strings.
What is Kohli and pant doing pic.twitter.com/KGZjiVFizk
— divz (@kohlizype) September 19, 2024
Here's how internet reacted:
Kohli telling Pant 'is tarah se carry krna hai team ko ab se'
— Bhartiya Manush (@sonofnetflix) September 19, 2024
Pulling kuldeep out of today's 11
— Ninad Mhatre (@NinadMhatre27) September 19, 2024
YT: Kohli-Pant kidnapping Kuldeep
— Ved Mhatre (@vedmhatre18) September 19, 2024
Meanwhile, Bangladesh fast bowler Hasan Mahmud took three early wickets including star batsman Kohli in Chennai to jolt India’s top-order in the opening Test.
The tourists, who come in fresh from their 2-0 sweep in Pakistan, elected to field first on a cloudy morning at the start of the two-match series.
India took lunch at 88-3. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, on 37, and returning wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, on 33, were batting at the break.
India's openers started cautiously, with skipper Rohit Sharma getting his first run on the 11th delivery, after surviving a few close calls.
Rohit smashed Hasan for the first boundary of the match but the bowler had his revenge in the next over when he got the skipper caught at second slip to break through.
Rohit made six.
Shubman Gill survived just eight deliveries before being caught behind for a duck when he attempted a flick down the leg side.
(With AFP Inputs)