Just days after receiving a bat from Virat Kohli, India pacer Akash Deep put it to great use in the ongoing 2nd Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur.
As India’s batters unleashed an aggressive display, Akash joined the action by smashing back-to-back sixes off Shakib-Al-Hasan, leaving the Indian dressing room, including Kohli, highly amused. Ahead of the first Test, Kohli had surprised Akash by gifting him one of his bats. “He came to me and said, ‘Do you want a bat? Here, keep it,’” Akash had said. Now, just a week later, Akash made Kohli proud by wielding the bat with even more power than its original owner. India was pushing for quick runs, and Kohli himself had earlier scored 47 off 35 balls, but it wasn’t the only time the bat with the big ‘MRF Genius’ logo delivered. When KL Rahul got out, Akash entered the fray with Kohli’s bat in hand. After nearly being bowled on his first ball, he launched into two consecutive sixes over long-on, stunning Bangladesh and amusing the Indian camp. Kohli, gearing up to take the field, couldn’t contain his laughter as Akash’s power-hitting entertained the crowd and his teammates alike. Rajasthan Royals humorously described it as a “series of Goated events.” Kohli’s habit of gifting bats to young players has been known for years, notably during IPL 2024 when Rinku Singh asked for one. Kohli graciously agreed, even joking when Rinku broke his bat but eventually gifted him another. With two days of play washed out, India went all-out on Day 4, scoring 285/9 in just 34.4 overs at a blistering rate of over eight an over, aiming to secure a spot in the World Test Championship final. Bangladesh ended the day on 26/2, trailing by 26 runs, setting up a thrilling last day of the Test.