NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli on Tuesday congratulated Harry Kane after the England striker won the Ballon d’Or on Monday. Kohli shared a heartfelt message for his “friend”, praising him for his hard work, honesty and determination throughout his football career.Kane became the first Englishman in 25 years to win the prestigious award. The Bayern Munich striker had an outstanding season, scoring 73 goals for club and country and setting new scoring records in Germany.
What did Virat Kohli say to Harry Kane?
Kohli took to social media to congratulate Kane and wrote a beautiful post.“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,” Kohli wrote.Kane finished ahead of several top players, including Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, in the voting for the men’s award.
Kohli set for New Zealand ODIs
Kohli will next be seen in action in India’s five-match ODI series against New Zealand.The star batter heads into the series after an impressive show against the West Indies in September. Kohli scored 168 runs in three matches at an average of 84 and a strike rate of 155.55.He made an unbeaten 139 off just 88 balls in the opening ODI in Thiruvananthapuram, helping India secure a comfortable eight-wicket win. Captain Shubman Gill also played a key role, scoring 110 runs as India chased down the target with ease.During the innings, Kohli crossed 15,000 runs in ODIs, becoming only the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to reach the milestone. His 55th ODI century was another reminder of his ability to dominate bowlers.India and New Zealand are scheduled to play five ODIs from November 4 to 15, 2026. The series will begin in Auckland, with the next matches scheduled in Wellington and Hamilton. The final two ODIs will be played in Mount Maunganui.
