New Delhi [India], June 1 (ANI): Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles on Monday said that Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli is 'a huge name in Australia,' while praising the strong ties between the two nations.

Marles also expressed his admiration for Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev and highlighted the strong relationship between India and Australia during his participation in the event 'Manobal'.

'It is quite a thrill for me to be standing next to the great Kapil Dev... The relationship between Australia and India is at a high point... In so many ways, the shared passion that we have for life is embodied in our passion for cricket,' Marles said.

Speaking further on cricketing icons, he added, 'Virat Kohli is a huge name in Australia right now, but as I grew up, the very first Indian cricket captain I remember was Bishan Bedi; they were the great names of that era. Everyone in this room is easily the most well-known person in Australia today. We have shared passions for things like cricket, but we also have shared challenges in the way in which we are going about leading the modern world.'

Earlier, Australian Deputy PM Marles also highlighted the strong sporting and cultural ties between Australia and India, pointing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) Indian Premier League (IPL) title win.

He praised RCB's batting heavyweight Virat Kohli's match-winning innings and noted the contributions of Australian players Josh Hazlewood and Tim David, saying their combined success reflected the close and collaborative relationship between the two nations.

'When I was here last year, it was the morning after the final of the Indian Premier League, as it is, of course, this morning. Last night, as we saw a year ago, we saw RCB triumph. But I like the fact that Virat Kohli was 75 not out and was man of the match, but alongside him were Josh Hazlewood and Tim David. So there was very much an Australian-Indian bilateral theme at play last night as RCB won the IPL. And that is emblematic, I think, of the relationship between our two countries,' Marles said.

RCB clinched IPL 2026 glory, riding on a stunning 75* off 42 by Virat Kohli, to beat Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad on Sunday.RCB gunned down a tricky 156 runs to join five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) in the elite list of clubs to have won back-to-back IPL titles.

Hazlewood played a pivotal role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's successful IPL 2026 title defence, claiming 15 wickets in 13 matches and providing crucial breakthroughs throughout the campaign despite an economy rate of 9.59.

Meanwhile, fellow Australian Tim David emerged as a key finisher for RCB, amassing 305 runs at a blistering strike rate of 188.27 and an average of 33.89, making several impactful contributions as the franchise secured a second consecutive IPL crown. (ANI)