A resurfaced tweet from Virat Kohli has added an intriguing layer to the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) final between South Africa and Australia at Lord's. As South Africa stands on the brink of their first ICC title since 1998, Kohli's seven-year-old praise for Aiden Markram has gone viral, seemingly predicting the batter's crucial role in a potential triumph.

The context dates back to March 2018, when Markram, already with a few Test centuries under his belt, played a resilient innings of 84 against Australia in Cape Town. This performance caught Kohli's eye, prompting him to tweet, "Aiden Markram is a delight to watch!" Fast forward to June 13, 2025, and Markram is again making headlines, this time for his unbeaten century in the WTC final, steering South Africa closer to victory.

South Africa closed Day 3 needing just 69 runs with eight wickets in hand to win the WTC final against Australia. Markram's innings, described as one of the finest of his Test career, has put South Africa in a commanding position to break their long-standing ICC trophy drought. Captain Temba Bavuma is also holding strong with 65 runs, building a solid partnership with Markram and guiding the team towards their target of 282 runs.

The Proteas' journey to this point has been fraught with heartbreak. Despite consistently fielding world-class squads, they have repeatedly fallen short in crucial moments, earning them the unwanted tag of "chokers." South Africa's batting coach, Ashwell Prince, acknowledged the significance of the potential victory, stating it would be "massive for the country" and a step towards shedding the "chokers" label. He also highlighted Markram as "someone for the big occasion."

Australia's Beau Webster acknowledged South Africa's history and the pressure they might be under, adding that his side would look to capitalise on any signs of nerves. However, with Markram and Bavuma at the crease, South Africa appear well-placed to finally deliver on their potential.

Aiden Markram, born on October 4, 1994, has become an integral part of the South African team across all formats. In his Test career, he has played 45 matches, scoring 2,857 runs with an average of 36. He also boasts a strong ODI record, with 2,371 runs in 77 matches at an average of 37. His T20 career has seen him score 1,367 runs in 57 matches, averaging 30.

The WTC final win would be a significant milestone for Markram, cementing his place as a key player in South African cricket history.

This final marks South Africa's first-ever appearance in a WTC final, while Australia are the defending champions, having defeated India in the previous edition. The match is being held at Lord's, London, from June 11-15, 2025. As South Africa edges closer to victory, Virat Kohli's prophetic tweet serves as a reminder of Markram's talent and potential, adding a compelling narrative to this historic occasion.