Unconventional fan tribute: Artist creates Virat Kohli's portrait using tongue; sparks mixed reactions (WATCH)

Cricketer Virat Kohli, a globally admired athlete, has garnered an incredible following, with fans going to great lengths to express their admiration. On Monday, India's batting mainstay achieved a remarkable milestone, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record of 13,000 runs in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and becoming the fastest cricketer to reach this landmark during the Asia Cup 2023 Super Four match between India and Pakistan.

The former Indian captain, resuming his innings from the previous day due to rain, initially reached his half-century in 55 balls and then astonishingly secured his 47th ODI century in just 29 more deliveries. In the process, Kohli surpassed the legendary Tendulkar, achieving this feat in his 267th innings, and solidifying his position as the fastest batsman to reach milestones such as 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000, 12,000, and now 13,000 ODI runs.

Also read: Asia Cup 2023, India vs Pakistan: KL Rahul silences critics with century; sparks meme fest

Virat Kohli's achievement of reaching 13,000 ODI runs in 54 innings fewer than Sachin Tendulkar (who achieved it in 321 innings) adds significant weight to the ongoing Virat vs. Sachin debate. With his 47th century in ODIs, Kohli now stands just two centuries away from matching his idol's record for the most ODI centuries and three away from surpassing the legendary Tendulkar's milestone of 50 one-day tons, an extraordinary feat in itself.

Kohli's remarkable performance against Pakistan allowed India to post a formidable total of 356/2 in their innings, with KL Rahul also contributing by scoring a century, his sixth in ODI cricket. The partnership between Kohli and Rahul was particularly noteworthy, as they added an unbeaten 233 runs for the third wicket. This partnership goes down in history as the highest ever in Asia Cup history for any wicket. Furthermore, this achievement at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium marks Kohli's fourth consecutive century at this venue, emphasizing his consistency and dominance in the format.

Even as cricket fans in India celebrate Kohli's feat, a video of a devoted supporter, who recently demonstrated his admiration by creating a unique portrait of the cricket star using only his tongue as his primary tool, has gone viral. This unconventional art form elicited a wide range of reactions from the public, with some applauding the artist's talent while others deemed it "cringe" and "absurd."

The video showcasing this tongue-based artistic endeavor was shared by Mufaddal Vohra on 'X,' formerly known as Twitter, and it quickly gained significant attention, amassing over 1.8 million views. The viral clip prompted various responses from social media users, with some even expressing curiosity about the taste of the peculiar paint used in the process.

One user on Twitter commended the artist's talent with a simple, "Talented guy." However, another user had a contrasting opinion, stating, "The painting looks perfect, but the way he did it is absurd." A third user humorously remarked, "It's a good hidden talent, but maybe it's best kept hidden."

Also read: Kohli's historic 13,000 ODI runs - a legendary journey