Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli’s brush with Sir Garfield Sobers goes viral

For most of the current generation of Indian cricketers, Sir Garfield Sobers has perhaps been only a name from the cricketing folklore. It was, hence, quite a lifetime experience for them when Sir Gary, now 86, and his wife were introduced to Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and the other members of the Indian team at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Tuesday.

The video clips released by BCCI, especially the one where Kohli shakes the legendary allrounder’s hands and poses for a photo, has gone viral on social media. Their meeting took place, quite fittingly, next to the Sir Garfield Sobers Pavilion and may help in injecting some tempo ahead of a two-Test series beginning on July 12.

The team was practising in Barbados, the icon’s home town, where the legend turned up for a courtesy call. It’s very rarely that an ageing Sir Gary makes a public appearance these days – making it an occasion to remember. Incidentally, Kohli had been a recipient of the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, given to the ICC Cricketer of the Year, twice in 2017 & 2018.

The video began with captain Rohit shaking hands, followed by Ajinkya Rahane. Then came the most viewed part as Kohli walked up to Sobers and had his moment with the legend. The best was yet to be when coach Rahul Dravid introduced Shubman Gill with the words: ‘’Shubman Gill, one of our most young exciting batsmen,’’ he said, which was followed by a pleasant "Ohh" from Sobers himself.

The statistics can never do justice to the way he once dominated the sport but for the record, Sobers played 93 Tests for West Indies between 1954 and 1974, scoring 8032 runs at an average of 57.78. He struck 26 centuries and 30 half-centuries with a best individual score of 365 not out – a record as the highest individual Test score which stood for years.

He took 235 wickets with a bowling average of 34.03 'including six five-wicket hauls' and was one of a rare breed who bowled seamers as well as chinaman.