[Watch] Virat Kohli returns to India ahead of IPL 2024

Ace Team India batter Virat Kohli was recently spotted at the Mumbai airport as he returned to India ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024).

Kohli was reportedly in London, where he and his wife, Anushka Sharma, welcomed their second child on February 15. The couple became proud parents to a baby boy, whom they named Akaay.

Notably, the star batter had opted out of India's recently concluded five-match Test series against England, which coincided with the delivery of his second child. Kohli apparently arrived in India on Sunday, March 17.

In a video shared by photojournalist Viral Bhayani on his Instagram handle, Kohli can be seen exiting the Mumbai airport.

Virat Kohli was last seen in action during India's three-match home T20I series against Afghanistan in January. He was unavailable for the opening contest due to personal reasons.

Making his comeback to India's T20I team for the first time since the 2022 T20 World Cup, he scored 29 runs off 16 balls in the second fixture before recording a golden duck in the final encounter.

---

"He will have the second-best season of his life after 2016" - Irfan Pathan's prophecy for Virat Kohli

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan expects Virat Kohli to have a fantastic season with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2024.

He predicted that it could be the 35-year-old's best-ever season since the historic 2016 edition, where he mustered 973 runs, which remains the most runs scored by a player in a single season.

Speaking in a Star Sports press meet, Pathan said:

"First of all, he will be fresh. Guys like Virat Kohli, who are so fit, can be very dangerous for oppositions. He will be looking forward to playing in the IPL. I personally feel that he will have the second-best season of his life after 2016."

RCB will take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the opening match of IPL 2024 at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday, March 22.