Star Indian batter Virat Kohli congratulated Harry Kane on Tuesday after the England striker secured the Ballon d’Or on Monday. Kohli posted an emotional message dedicated to his friend, highlighting his dedication and perseverance over his career.
A Historic Victory for Kane
Kane achieved the milestone by becoming the first English player in a quarter of a century to claim the prestigious trophy. The Bayern Munich forward produced a remarkable campaign, netting 73 goals across club and international fixtures while establishing fresh scoring benchmarks in Germany.
As reported by sports.yahoo.com, Kohli expressed his admiration on social media, writing: “Harry my friend, you deserve every bit of this award for your resilience, hard work and honesty with which you’ve carried yourself through all these years playing football at the top. Really happy for you. God bless you and your family. They must all be very proud of you as you would be of your own journey. My best wishes always. Congratulations @HKane.”
In the voting for the men’s honor, Kane surpassed prominent names such as Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe, and Lionel Messi.
Kohli Prepares for New Zealand ODIs
Kohli will return to the pitch for India’s upcoming five-match ODI series against New Zealand, scheduled from November 4 to 15, 2026. The opening match takes place in Auckland, followed by fixtures in Wellington, Hamilton, and the final two games in Mount Maunganui.
The veteran batter enters the series following a strong performance against the West Indies in September, where he accumulated 168 runs across three games at an average of 84 and a strike rate of 155.55. His efforts included an unbeaten 139 from 88 deliveries in the first ODI in Thiruvananthapuram, which guided India to an eight-wicket victory alongside captain Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 110-run knock.
During that match, Kohli surpassed 15,000 career runs in one-day internationals, joining Sachin Tendulkar as the only players to achieve the milestone, while also notching his 55th ODI century.
