Virat Kohli Receives Hug From Anushka Sharma After India's World Cup Loss, Picture Goes Viral

India star Virat Kohli was shattered after his side lost to Australia in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final on Sunday.

As the Australians rejoiced in winning a record sixth Cricket World Cup, Indian players were seen leaving the field in tears at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India's dream of winning a third 50-over World Cup came crashing down when they lost to the Aussies by six wickets.

Virat Kohli heartbroken

Once the players left the field, they met their families and Kohli was seen being consoled by his wife Anushka Sharma, who was in the stands. She gave the heartbroken cricketer a warm hug to console him, and the picture of the two went viral on social media.

Kohli won the Player of the Series award for his incredible 765 runs in 11 matches, but the biggest prize, the World Cup trophy, eluded him and the team. He scored a 63-ball 54 before being dismissed by Australia skipper Pat Cummins in the final. His dismissal at the time sent shockwaves across the Narendra Modi Stadium, leaving even Anushka stunned.

The former India captain, along with spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, aimed to become the only Indian player to win the Cricket World Cup twice. Whether Kohli will feature in the next edition in 2027 remains uncertain.

Half-centuries from Kohli and KL Rahul, and a quick-fire 47 from captain Rohit Sharma saw India put up 240 runs on the board. Their bowling, which had been top-notch in their 10 consecutive victories before the final, had no response to Aussie opener Travis Head, who inspired Australia to a glorious win with his knock of 120-ball 137.

Pat Cummins: Australia saved their best for last

An overjoyed Cummins heaped praise on his side, having executed the perfect plan to outshine the in-form Indian side on the big occasion.

"I think we saved our best for last. A couple of big match players stood up, and we're pretty stuffed. We've been batting first pretty much for the whole tournament, today we thought, it was a good night to chase down, we thought it might actually get a little bit easier. Everyone was pretty keen to get out there. It was a bit slower than I thought, and didn't particularly spin probably as much as we thought either. Everyone adjusted pretty well and bowled some tight lines," Cummins said after the match.

Travis Head is a 'legend'

After Australia suffered early blows, losing three early wickets for just 47 runs, Head put up 192 runs with Marnus Labuschagne, who remained not out on 58 off 110 balls.

Head missed the initial stages of the World Cup 2023 due to a broken hand. However, Australia's management backed him and did not rope in a replacement to their official squad. The South Australian batter became only the third Aussie to register a hundred in a World Cup final, after Ricky Ponting (2003) and Adam Gilchrist (2007).

"Marnus walked in with a cool head and Travis does what he does. Really brave, he takes the game on, puts some pressure back on the bowlers and to do it on the biggest stage shows a lot of character. The selectors have backed him even when he had a broken hand and the medical team to get him back. It was a big risk that we took and it paid off. Couldn't be happier for Trav, he is a legend, we love him," added Cummins in the post-match interview.

One other thing that set Australia apart from India on Sunday was their fielding. Speaking of that, Cummins credited his boys, saying even though they have an ageing side, "everyone still throws themselves around in the game" and that's "fantastic".