Virat Kohli says he feels "awkward" playing in front of the pavilion at Arun Jaitley Stadium named after him in the match between IND and AFG.
It can be an odd experience to play in front of a pavilion bearing one's name, and Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli finds it a little "awkward."
"I find it a little strange that I'm still performing, especially in front of my own pavilion. To be honest, I don't like to talk about it too much, but when I look back and see everything that's there now and where I started, it's a great honour that I never felt would happen in my career," a modest Kohli said.
As India prepares to take on Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, which has a stand named after the former Indian captain, Virat Kohli, expressed his feelings about going back to his cricketing roots.
Kohli's cricket career started on the premises of the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where he trained for age-group matches and the Ranji Trophy before pulling on an Indian jersey.
Reflecting on his return to the home ground, Kohli said, "Of course, that's the stadium where I have grown up playing my cricket - Age-group cricket, Ranji Trophy, and then played for India as well."
The recollections of his formative years on this pitch are still vivid, and Kohli recognised the role the stadium played in his career.
"You can never get the memory out of your head. You can still feel it when you return to those times because that is where it all began. That's where you were first noticed by the selectors, and you were given a chance," Kohli recalled.
The significance of Kohli's return to the Arun Jaitley Stadium has increased after India's thrilling victory over Australia in their World Cup opener. In an exciting encounter, India overcame Australia's target of 199 runs with 52 balls remaining, winning by a commanding six wickets. Kohli and KL Rahul, who combined for a record-breaking 167 runs, were instrumental in this victory.
While Kohli is well-known for his amazing ODI batting stats, which include over 13,000 runs and 47 hundreds, he also demonstrated his fielding prowess by making a difficult catch during the game.