‘I decided I won’t let someone ride over me’: Kesrick Williams recalls when Virat Kohli imitated his ‘notebook celebrations’

In the 2nd T20I, Williams picked up Kohli’s wicket, and then put his finger on the lips to celebrate it. The banter between the two cricketers became the main talking point of the series.

West Indies fast bowler Kesrick Williams recalled his banter with India captain Virat Kohli which took place during the limited-overs series between the two countries in India last year. The story goes that in 2017, Williams had dismissed Kohli in an ODI match in Jamaica, and to celebrate the dismissal, he did his now famous “notebook celebrations”. But little did Kesrick knew that Kohli is not the kind of player who would let the bowlers have the last laugh, and during the T20I game between the two teams in Hyderabad in 2019, Kohli exacted his revenge..

File image of Virat Kohli and Kesrick Williams.(File)

Kohli hammered a straight one from Kesrick for a six. The right-hander then imitated the bowler’s “notebook celebrations”. The moment became viral on social media, and grabbed newspapers headlines the next day.

“When he did it, I was like Woah! I was surprised, very very surprised. The first time I did it to him was in 2017. And to remember it in 2019, it shows the kind of player he is. ‘You know what, I have to get back at this guy,’ which he did in Hyderabad,” Kesrick said in an interview to Sportskeeda.

In the 2nd T20I, Williams picked up Kohli’s wicket, and then put his finger on the lips to celebrate it. The banter between the two cricketers became the main talking point of the series. “I decided I am not going to let somebody ride over me just like that. I am now going to hit him back hard. And I came back, hit him hard, and got the best of him, in the second game,” Williams added.

“I think I get the best of him and I think the next time we meet again it’s going to be something. I am ready for it. I don’t care who he is. Yes, he is a talented player. He is probably the best player in the world. I always respect him when it comes to that. But when it comes to my bowling, and his batting, it’s me or him on the day, which I am going to back myself every time,” Kesrick Williams further said.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli, and his Royal Challengers Bangalore teammates reached Dubai earlier this week ahead of the 13th edition of Indian Premier League.