Indian batting icon Virat Kohli won hearts with a heartfelt gesture ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand, as he shared an inspiring pep talk with a local net bowler and signed a cricket ball for him at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. The touching moment, captured on video, has since gone viral on social media.

After an extended net session, Kohli was seen interacting with the young net bowler, offering words of encouragement and motivation. The star batter stressed the importance of conviction and self-belief, even in the face of adversity.

“Agar maar padh bhi jaati hai to koi baat nahi, par conviction se. Main wo ball daal raha hoon jo mujhe daalna hai, na ki wo jo batsman mujhse dalwa raha hai,” Kohli said.
(Even if you get hit, it doesn’t matter. What matters is having the conviction that you are bowling the delivery you want to bowl, not the one the batter wants you to.)

The exchange concluded with Kohli signing a cricket ball for the youngster, turning the interaction into a moment he is unlikely to forget.

Virat Kohli on the brink of historic milestones

The gesture came as Kohli prepares for a landmark moment in his illustrious career. Ahead of the first ODI on Sunday, the former India captain is just 25 runs away from becoming only the third cricketer to score 28,000 international runs, after Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.

Kohli also needs 42 more runs to surpass Sangakkara’s tally of 28,016 runs and become the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket across all formats.

So far, Kohli has amassed 27,975 runs in 556 matches and 623 innings at an exceptional average of 52.58, including 84 centuries and 145 half-centuries.

Sachin Tendulkar remains the leading run-getter in international cricket with 34,357 runs, while Sangakkara sits second with 28,016 runs.

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