IND vs SL | Twitter gushes over fan holding up play to click selfie with Virat Kohli's six-hit ball

01/15/2023

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In a country that worships the game, Indian cricketers are idolized to no end, especially when it is someone of the stature of Virat Kohli. His fanfare was again evident on Sunday after a groundsman chose to keep the players waiting by clicking a selfie with a six-hit ball before returning it.

The third ODI between India and Sri Lanka in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday had a slew of star performers with both bat and ball but none could match the feats that their former skipper Virat Kohli achieved. The 34-year-old ended up unbeaten on 166 off 112 balls, registering his 46th ODI hundred in the process to inch ever closer to Sachin Tendulkar's record. The knock also saw the talisman climb to fifth in the charts for the most runs by a player in ODIs, surpassing Mahela Jayawardene's tally of 12,654 runs. What the talisman's knock meant to the crowd, even in a dead rubber, was on display during the 46th over of the first innings in an incident that had Twiteratti buzzing.

Bludgeoning along on 128 off 96 deliveries, Kohli showed no mercy to Kasun Rajitha by heaving his first ball of the over for six with utmost class and grace. The Kookaburra hit the sightscreens and remained stranded beyond the boundary fence, creating the requirement to fetch the ball for play to resume. A sporting groundsman was quick to take up the responsibility and zoomed across seats and fences to somehow get to the ball. While everyone waited for him to return the white rock to play, the fan audaciously whipped out his smartphone from his pocket. The big screens, realizing what was occurring, focused in on the happenings as well and the entire audience saw the boy click a photo with the ball with bated breath.

The groundsman simply could not stop grinning after having captured the photo and instantly becoming a fan-favourite amongst the online cricketing fraternity for his cheeky antics.

But selfie first!

pic.twitter.com/Vn6k6xPwFT
— MINI BUS 2022 (@minibus2022) January 15, 2023

Kohli waiting

Kohli 166 🔥🔥Fans cricket ball selfie 🤳🏻🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/B0PeDVSAwH
— New Update (@NewUpda11618548) January 15, 2023

With the ball

Loved the guy who took a selfie with the ball hit for huge 6 by Virat . What an amazing innings both from Virat and Gill.
— cricfan (@CrickidaV) January 15, 2023

Famous now!

Wo selfie le rha tha ball ke sath but pura camera ne usko tv pe dikha diya 🙄sbut ki jarurat hi nhi , 🤣
— Sristi Kumari (@SristiK79307287) January 15, 2023

Hilarious

He's taking Selfie with Ball 🤦‍♀️😂 . #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/x6aE8Wn7FJ
— ANAM 🇮🇳 (@Anam_Nishat18) January 15, 2023

Big day definately

Not the cleaner taking selfie of the ball of Virat shot 💙😂
— 𝔻𝕚𝕫𝕚𝕘𝕚𝕣𝕝 😎😘🚩 (@DreamDizi) January 15, 2023

Glory shot!

The boy who goes to collect the ball from beneath the sheets behind the sightscreen after Kohli's 6, gets it, flips out his phone to take a selfie with the it! 😜

Sensible thing even under immense pressure to return it immediately! Holds everyone up for his glory shot!#INDvSL
— Dr.Titas Kar (@titask9) January 15, 2023

Give the ball

Virat hit a six to chamika,

A ground Man beside giving a ball, he took out his phone from pocket and take a selfie and the whole players watched it 😂😂
— 🇮🇳🕉️KARAN KASHYAP🕉️🇮🇳 (@KaranKashyap87) January 15, 2023

Throw it back!