Virat Kohli went viral after his incredible innings led India to a historic four-wicket win over Pakistan in their 20-20 World Cup match. Kohli's global popularity reached the United States, where WWE legend Paul Heyman made a critical remark about Virat's post-match celebration.
Kohli's rare display of emotion following the match piqued everyone's interest, including Heyman, who couldn't help but notice a striking resemblance between Virat and the undisputed WWE champions Roman Reigns.
After R Ashwin scored the winning runs, and Kohli had finished being celebrated by his teammates after guiding India to a famous win, Kohli removed his helmet and closed his eyes. The gesture was a carbon copy of Reigns' WWE trademark sign and celebration.
Reigns, also known as 'The Tribal Chief,' whose reign has lasted over 700 days, does the same. He points to the sky as a way of telling fans to 'Acknowledge Him,' which is also his catchphrase.
Heyman sent a stunning message to India's cricket and WWE fans on the occasion of Diwali, praising 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.
Here is Paul Heyman's tweet
Happy #Diwali Everyone! #WWEkiDiwali
— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) October 23, 2022
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! @WWE @WWEIndia pic.twitter.com/lD4RQaSci0
In the game, Arshdeep, who was playing in his first World Cup, dismissed Babar Azam for a golden duck on his first ball. Along the way, the left-arm fast bowler from India became only the second bowler in T20I history to dismiss Babar for a first-ball duck, after Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi. He finished with 3/32 as Pakistan batted first and scored 159/8.
India's response was disastrous, with the team's top order collapsing early on. Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah gave Pakistan some hope after dismissing the likes of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Suryakumar Yadav. Former India captain Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya, on the other hand, pushed the game to its limit, with Kohli (82* off 53) hammering Pakistan's bowlers.