BIRMINGHAM: Rohit Sharma is in the form of his life. The elegant century that he scored against Bangladesh was his fourth of the tournament, pulling level with Kumar Sangakkara’s record of the most hundreds in a single edition. Having amassed 544 runs in seven games, he is currently the leading scorer with a realistic chance to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record tally of 673 achieved in 2003.
As he keeps smashing one record after another captain Virat Kohli is convinced that Rohit is the best one-day batsman right now. “I have been watching it for years now. Rohit is the best player around and we are so delighted to see him. When he plays like that, everybody is happy to see him strike this so well,” Kohli.
Kolhi wins hearts for fan gesture
Virat Kohli won many a heart for his gesture to meet an octagenarian fan after India’s win over Bangladesh at Edgbaston on Tuesday. The 87-year-old Charulatha Patel was the oldest spectator at the stadium and Kohli decided to meet her after the visuals of the old lady cheering Team India flashed on TV screens inside the dressing room.
With security officers and anti-corruption officials in toe, Kohli went to the stands and sought her blessings. The visuals of Charulatha giving a peck on the captain’s cheek went viral on social media. “I would like to thank all our fans for all the love & support, especially Charulata Patel ji. She’s 87 and probably one of the most passionate & dedicated fans I’ve ever seen. Age is just a number, the passion takes you leaps & bounds. With her blessings, on to the next one,” Kohli tweeted.
Charulatha, a Gujarati who is settled in the UK, has been following cricket since 1975. She is a regular visitor at Sussex county matches. The senior says Kohli has promised her tickets to India’s remaining matches. “Virat said he would look forward to see me in the rest of the 2-3 matches but I told him that I do not have the tickets, and then he said, ‘don’t worry about the tickets, I will give it to you’,” she was quoted as saying.
“Virat came to meet me after the match. He touched my feet and I gave him my blessings. I told him to keep up the good work and win the World Cup. I always pray for the Indian team’s success. From the bottom of my heart, I wish the Indian cricket team all the best,” Charulatha, who came to Birmingham from London to cheer the team, said.
