Delhi Da Munda Shines! Kohli Stars Against New Zealand in Landmark 300th ODI
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) - India's star batsman Virat Kohli, who is set to face New Zealand in Dubai to determine the team that tops Group A in the Champions Trophy, talked about his Delhi roots and said his prototype 'Delhi Da Munda' reflects his stress-free approach towards things.
Kohli, who is set to play his 300th ODI when he takes the field at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday afternoon, has already become the only batsman to score 51 centuries in ODI history and the third to amass 14,000 runs in the format after Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara. "I don't know if I am always a perfect Delhi boy. Being a Delhi boy means having a stress-free approach towards everything. New experiences in life took a lot of place, so I wouldn't say I am always a Delhi boy. At some moments, I am, yes," Kohli said in a video posted by ICC on Instagram.
Further in the video, head coach Gautam Gambhir, who is also a 'Delhi boy' himself, said that the spirit of Delhi is to try and win the game as soon as the players step on the field. "The spirit of Delhi is very simple: whenever you step on the cricket field, try and win. This is what we have been taught when we were growing up in Delhi," Gambhir said.
Both New Zealand and India have confirmed their place in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy. But they will have to face each other to decide who tops Group A. This will also help decide the semi-final positions. The semi-finalists for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 have been confirmed – although the actual schedules are yet to be decided. The two teams making the cut from Group B are Australia and South Africa, who will join India and New Zealand from Group A. Incidentally, the semi-finals of the 2023 Men's Cricket World Cup also featured the same four teams. If India wins and tops the group, they will face Australia, the second-best team from Group B, while New Zealand will face South Africa, who top Group B. If New Zealand wins and tops Group A, they will face Australia, while India will face South Africa
