- By Himanshu Badola
- Sat, 13 Dec 2025 03:56 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Virat Kohli has returned to India after spending a few days with his family in London. He departed soon after India won the ODI series against South Africa. He produced a memorable effort as India defeated the Proteas by 9 wickets in the third and final ODI to win the series 2-1.
Virat was in remarkable form with the bat and was the top run-getter in the series, having scored 302 runs at an average of 151 on the back of two centuries and a fifty. He was adjudged as the Player of the Series. The veteran batter was seen landing at the Mumbai airport on Saturday. Virat's return was expected as he will soon be in action during the New Zealand series and will likely be playing for Delhi in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy.
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Virat was accompanied by his wife, Anushka Sharma, as it was the latter's first appearance in India in months. The former Indian skipper is all set to make his return to domestic cricket and will play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the first time after a long gap of 15 years. While the tournament is scheduled to start on December 24, Delhi will kick off its campaign against Andhra Pradesh.
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Interestingly, Virat's arrival on Saturday sparked heavy speculations over his possible meet-up with Lionel Messi during the ongoing GOAT India tour. Notably, Messi touched down in India during the early hours of December 13. The legendary footballer is set to reach Mumbai on December 14, where he will be greeting his fans at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, Messi’s first day in India did not go as expected, as fans in Kolkata were left disappointed after failing to get the perfect glimpse of their favourite star. While a chaotic turn was witnessed at the Salt Lake Stadium, Messi was forced to leave the field early before the crowd vandalised and harmed the venue in anger.
Fans claimed that Messi’s planned lap of the stadium never properly materialised. As he stepped onto the field, the World Cup winner was immediately surrounded by politicians, officials, celebrities and their family members, along with an overwhelming media presence.
There aren't major hints around to declare Virat a huge football enthusiast, but he has mentioned himself as a huge Cristiano Ronaldo fan. With an unmatched love for Ronaldo in his heart, it will be interesting to see how his possible meeting with Messi turns out if speculations become a reality.