In a surprising turn of events at the 2023 World Cup final, Virat Kohli, despite claiming the Player of the Tournament award, left the post-match presentation without the customary interview. Kohli, the tournament’s leading run-scorer with an impressive 765 runs at an average of 95.62 in 11 matches, set a World Cup record.
However, the accolade couldn’t overshadow the disappointment of India’s defeat in the final against Australia in Ahmedabad. Kohli, batting at No. 3, contributed 54 runs off 63 balls, but India fell short, posting 240 runs batting first—30-40 runs below the par score. Australia, fueled by Travis Head’s remarkable century (137 off 120), successfully chased down the target in just 43 overs.
BCCI president, Roger Binny, presented Kohli with the Player of the Tournament award. Despite the presentation host, Ravi Shastri, being ready for the customary interview, Kohli, visibly dejected, made eye contact and walked away, denying the post-match conversation.
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Kohli’s incredible tally of 765 runs surpassed the previous record held by Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 673 runs in the 2003 World Cup. Interestingly, India also lost the final in that edition to Australia.