Virat Kohli influences Australian Minister; Diplomacy race reigns supreme with Cricket

Australia’s Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tim Watts, had a fan moment when he met Indian batter Virat Kohli during Team India’s visit to the Parliament House. Tim Watts shared a selfie with the Indian cricket star on his official Instagram account, which quickly went viral on social media.

Virat Kohli and the Indian cricket team are currently in Canberra for a tour match against the Prime Minister's XI as part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series. On Thursday, November 28, the Indian team was hosted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Parliament House.

A Bit of a Thrill to Meet - Tim Watts

After Team India met Anthony Albanese, several Australian ministers took the opportunity to click photos with Virat Kohli, who has a huge fan base in Australia. The Indian cricketers also had interactions with some of the Australian ministers during the event.

Tim Watts shared a selfie with Kohli on Instagram following their recent meeting. He expressed his excitement about meeting the cricket star. Watts described it as a "bit of a thrill" to meet both the Australian and Indian players at Parliament House.

“A bit of a thrill to meet the Australian and Indian players in the PM's XI game at Parliament House tonight,” Watts wrote.

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A post shared by Tim Watts MP (@timwattsmp)

I Told Virat Kohli That I Support Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Tim Watts

Tim Watts shared his admiration for Virat Kohli, adding that he supports Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL. Watts said that he told Kohli that RCB is the only team where he can "legitimately barrack" for him. Watts also called Kohli a great example of what an international cricketer should be.

“I told @virat.kohli that I support @royalchallengers.bengaluru in the @iplt20 because it's the only opportunity I get to legitimately barrack for him.”

“I give him the highest praise I can offer any international cricketer when I say that I've loved watching him play because he plays like an Australian. Just not when he's playing AGAINST Australia of course…” concluded the minister.

Virat Kohli to Be Seen in Action During Second Test in Adelaide

Virat Kohli returned to form during the second innings of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He was dismissed for just five runs in the first innings of the Perth Test. Kohli scored his 30th century in the second innings. The right-handed batter scored an unbeaten 100 runs as India secured a 295-run win.

Kohli has an impressive record in Australia, where he has scored 1,457 runs in 27 innings at an average of 56.03. His return to form is a positive sign for India in the ongoing five-match series. India will take on Australia in the second Tes at Adelaide Oval, starting on December 6.

India wants to secure a third consecutive Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory on Australian soil and clinch a spot in the World Test Championship final next year.

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