IND vs SL: Spectator invades field of play to touch Virat Kohli’s feet during final ODI clash in Thiruvananthapuram

Thanks to an unbeaten 166-run knock by Virat Kohli, team India registered an emphatic win by 317 runs over Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI contest at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, January 15. During the game, one of the spectators invaded the field of play to touch Kohli’s feet as his teammates looked on.

Opting to bat first, the Men in Blue top-order fired in tandem to post a mammoth total of 390 runs which included centuries by Shubman Gill (116 runs) and Kohli. Mesmerised by the former India skipper’s innings, one of the fans present in the stadium invaded the field of play only to touch the swashbuckling right-hander’s feet in the second innings.

Kohli was initially baffled when the incident took place and was seen trying to save himself as his teammates looked on. Speaking about the match, apart from the likes of Gill and Kohli, skipper Rohit and Shreyas Iyer got 42 and 38 runs respectively. 

Sri Lanka gets skittled out in mammoth run chase 

With the massive total posted by the Men in Blue, the Asia Cup 2022 winners just did not seem to be in the game at any point. After dominating with the bat, Rohit Sharma and Co. continued to stamp their authority with the ball as the Lankan Lions were sent packing for mere 73 runs in the chase. 

Nuwanidu Fernando, skipper Dasun Shanaka, and Kasun Rajitha were the only three players on the side with a double-digit scores which read 19, 11, and 13 runs respectively. Mohammed Siraj upped the ante with the ball as he racked up a four-wicket haul (4/32) in his 10 overs. Adding to this, veteran pacer Mohammed Shami and wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav too picked up two wickets each to wrap up the final contest.

India have started off well on the road to the 2023 ODI World Cup with a 3-0 series whitewash against neighbours Sri Lanka. However, with the matches coming thick and fast, the Men in Blue will need to remain headstrong and keep their consistency intact in the forthcoming bilateral series against New Zealand.