Former India captain Virat Kohli is currently at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru with the Indian squad as part of training for the upcoming 2023 Asia Cup. India's campaign kicks off with a high-octane clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in Kandy on September 2. The continental tournament will serve as a preparational series for the Asian teams for the upcoming ODI World Cup, and the Men in Blue will aim for a strong outing.
Meanwhile, during his free time from training, Kohli, the backbone of the Indian batting unit, visited a local educational institute in Bangalore, named Atria Institute of Technology. A huge crowd, including students and faculty, was waiting outside the institute to get a glimpse of Kohli. The batting maestro was welcomed with chants of “Kohli, Kohli” and “RCB, RCB”.
Kohli, who is closely associated with Bengaluru as part of his involvement with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), waved to his supporters. After posing for a few pictures with an infectious smile, he left the institute before joining his teammates.
Watch the video below:
Virat Kohli's craze in Bengaluru...!!!
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 24, 2023
- Face of world cricket. pic.twitter.com/i9Dlb9ukev
Kohli passes Yo Yo Test with flying colours
The No.3 batter on Thursday uploaded a picture on his social media handle to reveal his yo-yo test score. One of the fittest cricketers of all time, Kohli cleared his fitness ahead of the Asia Cup with 'distinction'. Expressing his joy at winning the Test, Kohli, who introduced the method to the Indian cricket team for the first time during his captaincy tenure, wrote on Instagram: "The happiness of finishing the Yo Yo test between the dreaded cones. 17.2 done."
Kohli was last seen in action during the West Indies tour last month. He played in the two-match Test series and registered scores of 76 and 121 in the two Test innings. The right-hander is expected to play a key role for India in the upcoming Asian tournament.
India’s Asia Cup 2023 squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Hardik Pandya (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Sanju Samson (reserve).