The world went gaga over Virat Kohli after his unbelievable innings led India to a monumental four-wicket win over Pakistan in their T20 World Cup match. But as Diwali came early for India, Kohli's world-wide popularity reached the USA, where WWE legend Paul Heyman made a hawkish observation about Virat's celebration at the end of the match. Kohli's rare show of emotions after the match got everyone talking, including Heyman, who couldn't help but notice a rare similarity between Virat and the undisputed WWE champions Roman Reigns.
After R Ashwin scored the winning runs, and once Kohli was done being mobbed by his teammates after guiding India to a famous win, Kohli took off his helmet, and pointed towards the skies with his eyes closed. The gesture was a spitting image of Reigns' trademark sign and celebration in the WWE. Reigns, fondly known as 'The Tribal Chief', and whose title reigns has surpassed 700 days, does exactly the same. He points towards the skies, which is way of telling fans to 'Acknowledge Him', which also happens to be his catchphrase.
On the occasion of Diwali, Heyman dropped a stunning message for India's cricket and WWE fans, while hailing Kohli's masterful knock.
"Happy #Diwali Everyone! #WWEkiDiwali. It is with great honor that I, #SpecialCounsel and #Wiseman to the #Bloodline, accept the great @imVkohli's celebration as - in front of the world - he decided to ACKNOWLEDGE OUR TRIBAL CHIEF @WWERomanReigns'!," Heyman tweeted.
We hope Kohli goes through Heyman's tweet. We really do. After all, Kohli is a huge WWE fan who has often made pro-wrestling anecdotes on the field. During a Test match in South last year, when India pacer Jasprit Bumrah returned to bowl after being off the field, the stump mic caught Kohli saying, "Finally… The Rock has come back…," a catchphrase that was made immortal by WWE legend The Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson. Kohli had also made an Undertaker reference during the IPL earlier this year after RCB came back 'from the dead' to win a match. "We are like The Undertaker," Kohli was heard saying to teammate Glenn Maxwell.
{{/usCountry}}We hope Kohli goes through Heyman's tweet. We really do. After all, Kohli is a huge WWE fan who has often made pro-wrestling anecdotes on the field. During a Test match in South last year, when India pacer Jasprit Bumrah returned to bowl after being off the field, the stump mic caught Kohli saying, "Finally… The Rock has come back…," a catchphrase that was made immortal by WWE legend The Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson. Kohli had also made an Undertaker reference during the IPL earlier this year after RCB came back 'from the dead' to win a match. "We are like The Undertaker," Kohli was heard saying to teammate Glenn Maxwell.
{{/usCountry}}The Rock himself played his part in hyping the India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup tie. During the build-up of the match, Johnson set the mood and shared a special message surrounding 'The Biggest Rivalry'. "When the greatest rivals collide, the world will stand still. This is more than just a cricket match. It's time for India vs Pakistan - the greatest rivalry," he had mentioned in a video.