Kolkata is abuzz and why shouldn't it be as India are gearing up to play their eighth match of the ODI World Cup 2023 at the Eden Gardens.
After playing against Sri Lanka, the Men in Blue are ready to lock horns with South Africa in what is their biggest challenge of this World Cup.
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India and South Africa are the top contenders to win the trophy and their clash could be the precursor to a knockout game between these two teams as they are almost confirmed semi-finalists and could meet each other in a must-win encounter once again.
70,000 fans at Eden Gardens to wear Kohli masks, but why?
The India versus South Africa fixture will mark another special event. Virat Kohli has his 35th birthday on the same day. The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) planned to make it a memorable one as they made special arrangements for the occasion.
CAB wants Kohli's 35th birthday to an unforgettable experience for the legend himself as well as the fans present in the stadium. And for this, they will distribute 70,000 Kohli face masks among the spectators.
"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," CAB president Snehasish Ganguly had told the reporters.
Moreover, a cake cutting ceremony will also be held before the game and Kohli will be presented a memento.
Fireworks, laser show to make birthday celebration extra special
As revealed by Ganguly, a fireworks and a laser show will also add to to the grandiosity of the birthday celebration.
"We plan to host a fireworks show during the mid-innings interval for Virat and the crowd. It will be our way of celebrating his birthday, and our way of saying that the entire Kolkata crowd are part of the celebrations. We are sure of a full house and everyone in the stands is a Virat fan. It is a gesture on behalf of all of them," Ganguly said as quoted to RevSportz.
MORE: Virat Kohli set to equal Sachin Tendulkar - Who has scored the most ODI hundreds in history?
Who will win ODI World Cup 2023?
India and South Africa are leading the race to win the title. New Zealand and Australia are following them and could be the other two semi-finalists.
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