'People say it's arrogance, they say it's for cameras...': Sri Lanka star's glorious tribute for Kohli ahead of 3rd ODI

The Sri Lanka star reserved high praise for Virat Kohli ahead of the third and final ODI of the series in Thiruvananthapuram.

Team India posted a dominant outing in both the ODIs of the series against Sri Lanka as the side took a 2-0 lead in the three-match rubber. While the hosts secured a 67-run victory in the first ODI of the series in Guwahati, India followed it up with another four-wicket win at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 62 as India chased down a 216-run target with over six overs to spare.

Guwahati: Indian batter Virat Kohli celebrates his century during the 1st ODI cricket match between India and Sri Lanka, at Barsapara stadium in Guwahati, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (PTI Photo) (PTI01_10_2023_000257B) (PTI)

India's outing in the first match of the series saw the side posting a mammoth score of 373/7, with star batter Virat Kohli scoring his 45th ODI century. The 34-year-old star smashed his second-successive ton, having scored an identical 113 in the third and final ODI of the series against Bangladesh as well. Kohli had been going through a rough patch in mid-2022 but made a staggering comeback in the Asia Cup later in the year, and produced one of the finest T20 knocks against Pakistan in the World Cup when he scored a match-winning 82*.

As Kohli continues on his strong performances, Sri Lanka star Chamika Karunaratne posted a picture with the India star with a heartwarming caption. Paying a rich tribute to Kohli, Karunaratne wrote, “People say it’s arrogance, they say it’s for the cameras, some say it’s for the show. The legend says he sees HUNGER. He says as long as there is hunger to be the best. You will WIN.”

Kohli will return to action on Sunday when the side takes on Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI of the series in Thiruvananthapuram. The batter is also named in the squad for the fifty-over series against New Zealand but remains absent from the T20Is.

The BCCI had announced the squads for the New Zealand tour and the first two Tests against Australia on Friday night; the Test squad also see maiden call-ups for Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan.