Watch: Brian Lara meets Virat Kohli ahead of India star’s landmark 500th international match

By India Today Sports Desk: India batting star Virat Kohli caught up with West Indies great Brian Lara, famously known as ‘The Prince of Trinidad,’ just before his 500th international match in the second Test against the West Indies in Trinidad.

Lara was on the phone with someone when he noticed Kohli approaching, so he extended his arm and shook hands with him. The two then hugged before having a brief conversation while Lara held his phone to his left ear. Kohli went upstairs after a couple of ‘thumbs up’ gestures, while Lara returned to his device.

The meeting between these two cricketing giants was a momentous occasion, filled with mutual respect and admiration. Kohli, known for his cricketing heroics, has always held Lara in high regard. The meeting served as an opportunity for Kohli to gain insights from Lara’s vast experience and wisdom, which could prove invaluable as he prepared for his landmark 500th international match.

Kohli overcame Lara earlier this year to become the second-highest Test run-scorer against Australia, and last year surpassed him to become the leading non-Australian run-scorer at The Adelaide Oval. Furthermore, in 2019, Kohli surpassed both Lara and Sachin Tendulkar to become the quickest batter in international cricket history to score 20,000 runs.

VIRAT’s 500TH APPEARANCE

Virat Kohli is set to reach yet another significant milestone as he prepares to play his 500th match for India against the West Indies beginning on Thursday. Kohli, who made his Test debut 12 years ago against the same opponents in 2011, will become only the fourth Indian cricketer to reach this milestone, joining Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and MS Dhoni, when the second Test begins at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, and in order to make this achievement even sweeter, the former India captain has hit the ground running. Kohli, who was dismissed for 76 in the first Test in Dominica, may reclaim his Test average of 50 if he can score at least 345 runs in both games.