ODI World Cup 2023: CAB to Distribute 70,000 Virat Kohli Masks During IND vs SA Match to Celebrate His 35th Birthday

Virat Kohli will face South Africa at Eden Gardens on his birthday.

In the exciting development, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has decided to distribute approximately 70,000 complimentary ‘Virat Kohli masks’ to fans to show their support for the star India batter on his 35th birthday, which aligns with India’s World Cup match against South Africa at Eden Gardens on November 5.

The game is slated to be a full house, as all the tickets were completely booked well in advance. Besides the mask distribution, the CAB has organised a cake-cutting ceremony before the match and a presentation of a special memento to acknowledge Kohli’s contributions to Indian cricket.

Here’s what CAB president Snehasish Ganguly told the media:

“We hope to get an approval from the ICC on this. We want to make the day special for Virat. We want every fan in the stadium wearing Kohli masks as he walks in. We plan to distribute about 70,000 masks on that day.”

Notably, something similar went down back in 2013 at Eden Gardens when Sachin Tendulkar was about to play his last Test match at the venue. The fans in the stands were handed Sachin Tendulkar masks and placards during the first two days of the match.