Published: Jan 13, 2026, 12:48 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 13, 2026, 12:48 PM (IST)
Before the first ODI against New Zealand on Sunday, veteran India batter Virat Kohli had a special moment with a young fan who looked just like him. Videos and images of the interaction went viral on social media, delighting fans across the country.
In the match, Kohli played a brilliant innings of 93 runs, helping India chase down 301 runs and win by four wickets. Despite his performance on the field, the young fan, who resembles Kohli, became one of the most talked-about highlights of the opening game of the three-match series.
After the match, the young fan spoke about meeting Kohli. Sharing his excitement with the media platform, he said: “Maine ekbar unka naam liya. Meri taraf dekha and Hi kaarke bola ki ‘thodi der me aata hoon’. Virat Kohli fir Rohit Sharma se bol raha tha ki ‘oye udhar dekh mera duplicate baitha hai’, Chhota chiku bol raha tha. (I called with his name once and after saying Hi, Kohli told me that he is coming to meet in a moment. Then he turned to Rohit Sharma and said ‘look my duplicate his sitting there’. They were calling me Chhota Chiku).“
During the post-match presentation, Kohli spoke about his cricket journey and achievements: “I just send the trophies back home to my mum in Gurgaon – she loves keeping them. (about him being the second highest run-scorer in international cricket) If I look back at my whole journey then it is nothing short of a dream come true for me. I have always known my abilities, but I also knew I had to work extremely hard to get where I am today.
“God has blessed me with far more than I could ever ask for, I look back at my journey with a lot of grace and gratitude, and I feel really proud of it. (was he thinking about his 54th hundred) If I am being brutally honest, the way I’m playing right now, I’m not thinking about milestones at all,” he added.
Kohli’s innings played a key role in securing India’s four-wicket win and gave the team a strong start in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. Fans are also talking about the viral moment with his young lookalike, making the opening game memorable both on and off the field.
