'Huge Honour Playing Against Him' : Sam Konstas Reveals Chat With 'Idol' Virat Kohli

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Australia's 19-year-old opener Sam Konstas had an eventful Test debut against India in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, highlighted by a fiery encounter with Virat Kohli.

During the opening Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Konstas experienced an intense initiation into Test cricket, including a shoulder bump with Kohli.

Despite the on-field tension, a past video of Konstas revealing Kohli as his idol went viral, adding an emotional twist to the encounter.

Kohli's Sportsmanship Post-Series

While Kohli fiercely contested against the young batter during the series, he extended a warm gesture after its conclusion, wishing Konstas well for his upcoming Sri Lanka tour. Reflecting on the interaction, Konstas shared his admiration for Kohli in a chat with CODE Sports: "I had a little chat after the game telling him that I idolise him, and it's obviously a huge honour playing against him," Konstas said. "When I did verse him, I was like, 'wow, Virat Kohli is batting.' He just had that presence about him, all the Indian crowd getting amongst it. Chanting his name. It was quite surreal."

Kohli's humility left an impression on Konstas. "He was very down to earth. A lovely person and just wishing me all the best saying hopefully I go well on the tour of Sri Lanka he said if I'm in," Konstas added.
"My whole family loves Virat. I've idolised him from a young age and he's a legend of the game."

Memorable Debut at the MCG

Konstas made a strong impression during his debut, scoring a half-century at the iconic MCG in front of a massive crowd of 90,000 on the first day. The atmosphere and magnitude of the occasion were awe-inspiring for the youngster.
"It was my first time playing in front of 90,000 people on day one at the MCG and I was like, 'holy crap, this is surreal,'" Konstas recalled.

Sharing the field with cricketing greats added to the surreal experience. "Playing against legends of the game like Kohli and Bumrah and playing with legends like Steve Smith and Pat Cummins, it is what I've dreamt of as a kid and I was just trying to soak up every second of it really," he said. "I'm very fortunate as a 19-year-old to be getting that experience and learning from the best."

Looking Ahead: BBL and Sri Lanka Tour

Before heading to Sri Lanka, Konstas will play a few matches in the Big Bash League (BBL) for the Sydney Thunder, led by David Warner. Following his BBL stint, he will join Cricket Australia's preparatory camp in the UAE. Konstas will next be seen in red-ball cricket action starting January 29, when Australia faces Sri Lanka in Galle.