Cricket / Virat Kohli mimics Shikhar Dhawan's batting style, video goes viral

Cricket Desk: Virat Kohli has the ability to mesmerize those watching him in more ways than one. The Indian skipper is known for his on-field exploits but has proven on various occasions that he is no less entertaining off the field. Giving a glimpse of one of his many talents, he posted a hilarious video on his official Twitter, mimicking his India teammate Shikhar Dhawan’s batting stance.

“Hi, this is Virat Kohli and I’m going to mimic Shikhar Dhawan because I feel he is lost in his space so much, it’s very funny and I have seen it many times from the other end,” Kohli said. Kohli starts by folding his sleeves up in trademark Dhawan style before imitating his idiosyncrasies in his stance before and after he leaves a ball.

Dhawan was last active in the Indian Premier League for the Delhi Capitals and tallied 587 runs from 16 games that played an instrumental role in his team’s top-table finish. However, the Capitals failed to proceed to the final after losing both the qualifiers. Kohli, on the other hand, led Royal Challengers Bangalore to the playoffs, after finishing third in the league stage. However, the team’s Eliminator loss against Kolkata Knight Riders meant his IPL captaincy stint ended without a title.

The 33-year-old announced earlier last month that the 2021 edition will be his last at the helm of RCB, a call he made public only a week after revealing that he will step down as India’s T20I skipper post the conclusion of the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman this year.

As for Dhawan, the southpaw is not a part of the Indian squad for the multi-team tournament despite an enviable record in ICC events. The word from the BCCI office-bearers has been that he was rested for the tournament, although he remains to be an “important player”.

“Shikhar is a very important player for us. Can’t disclose the discussion. He is in the loop. We thought the need of the hour was to look at others and rest him,” Team India chief selector Chetan Sharma had said during a virtual press meet on the day of India’s squad announcement.

In his absence, either one amongst KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan and Kohli remain the likely contenders to open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma. India will begin the Super12 campaign on October 24 against Pakistan.