London [UK], September 11 (ANI): Indian batting icon Virat Kohli met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in London on Friday.
The superstar batter discussed issues of sports, infrastructure and various government schemes initiated by the state government during the courtesy meet. Following the meeting, Deputy CM Shinde spoke to ANI, describing Virat as a "down-to-earth" human.
"Virat Kohli lives in London, and when he learned that I am here, he met me for a goodwill visit. I was delighted that such a big Indian cricketer, the one with the most centuries, is so down-to-earth. We had met before, but I was particularly happy with the direct conversation we had today. We also discussed the award I received. I told him about various welfare schemes in Maharashtra. I spoke about infrastructure, and he himself remarked that the development Maharashtra has seen in recent years is unprecedented. I also shared our future plans and the infrastructure projects currently underway, such as the ‘Third Mumbai’ development near the airport, the Atal Setu, the Balasaheb Thackeray Samruddhi Mahamarg, the coastal road, the metro, and initiatives regarding schools and healthcare," he said to ANI.
"We discussed all these matters, and I highlighted the work we are doing on infrastructure in Maharashtra. The state currently ranks number one in GDP, startups, infrastructure, and FDI. He was delighted to hear about the transformation and development taking place in Maharashtra, recognising the positive impact these initiatives will have on people's lives. The award I received was also based on these very themes: infrastructure, development, the ‘Ladli Behna’ scheme and the ‘Government at Your Doorstep’ initiative. We discussed these topics, and he was very pleased. I, too, was happy to meet him. We discussed how to help the new generation excel in competitions and how to nurture their talent—after all, the youth are the future of our country. He shared some valuable ideas in this regard, which will undoubtedly benefit both Maharashtra and the nation," he signed off.
This year in ODIs, Virat has 384 runs in six innings at an average of 64.00 and a strike rate of over 106, with a century and three fifties. He was recently seen in action during the ODIs in England in August, where he scored 144 runs in three innings, including two fifties and best score of 74.
Virat will continue his chase for the 100th century mark (becoming the second cricketer to do so after Sachin Tendulkar) during the home series against West Indies from September 27 onwards, with the series offering the 37-year-old three ODIs to further his century count, currently sitting at 85 centuries.
With 14,941 runs in 314 ODIs and 302 innings at an average of 58.59 and 54 centuries, 79 fifties, Virat is one of the finest and perhaps the finest ever ODI batters. He needs only 59 runs to become the second batter in ODIs to touch the 15,000 run mark. (ANI)
Virat Kohli meets Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde in London
