Happy Birthday, Virat Kohi! Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli turned 31 years old on Tuesday. Currently, the star cricketer is on a break after being rested for the T20I series against Bangladesh. Virat Kohli has gone on to become one of the most famed sportspersons and his records and statistics are a testament to his journey.
Kohli, who made his senior debut for India in August 2008 has gone on to earn nothing short of legendary status in the game, having surpassed many records to date and is also on course to set plenty more. Virat Kohli is already at the peak of his career and the runs are set to follow him everywhere he goes.
Virat Kohli has definitely redefined himself as a batsman. He also keeps pushing the bar higher as a captain. The Delhi-born cricketer has been an influential leader and under him, India recently registered 11 consecutive Test series wins – the joint-most by a team in history, equaling the record set by the Australian cricket team.
The 31-year-old is always likened to many greats of the past. Several legends have already touted Kohli as the GOAT in ODIs. He is also a complete batsman and thrives across all three formats. Kohli has 11,520 ODI runs to his name in 239 matches, 7,066 runs in 82 Tests and 2,450 runs in 72 T20Is.
In terms of international centuries, he is only next to Sachin Tendulkar and there is a feeling he could surpass the former Indian legend in the near future. With Kohli being so high in fitness, he promises longevity in the game and that should be a reason for many rising cricketers to look forward to. He has set the standards very high and is a real fighter. As well as there are very interesting facts about Virat Kohli off the field to be known.
Kohli has the ICC World T20 and World Test Championship in his sights next and one would hope he leads these teams to victory. India look set in Test cricket, however, the challenge will be in T20Is. That’s something the right-handed batsman has to set his focus in and back himself and the team to deliver.
The last few years have seen Kohli dominating the circuit and the upcoming year is also set to be no different. He is a living legend and deserves every bit of plaudit and praise that comes in his way.
Meanwhile, a private person, Kohli has also been a sheer ambassador of class off the field as well. He loves to travel, give pep talks, is a romantic and is highly concerned about his fitness and food choices. This makes him a class apart from the rest of the modern-day cricketers today. Here we look at the interesting Facts about Virat Kohli off the field.
The Indian captain has been an epitome of fitness
When it comes to fitness, there is nobody in the present day that can match Kohli. He is extremely lively and athletic. Often likened to Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of fitness and focus, the 31-year-old is a delight in this aspect. He is exceptional in the field and nobody can deny his energy of staying at the crease and making things happen in a flash.
He often fields on the boundary line and takes incredible catches, besides saving a lot of runs with his dives. He is exceptional in the ring as well.
The athletic cricketer is also a quick runner between the wickets. Most of his big knocks include a lot of ones and twos, which again reveals how to fit a player he is. Recently, in the knock of 254* in the second Test against South Africa, he ran so effortlessly despite batting for hours. And he also keeps posting awe-inspiring gym session videos and photos of him across social media platforms.
A strict vegan, Kohli has changed his food intake
Fitness is often associated with food and the Indian batsman is quite serious when it comes to what goes in his body. To be at the peak of fitness, Kohli became vegan in the recent past. Earlier, the Delhi boy was a real foodie who loved his biryani and paranthas. Kohli has now even given up on eggs and dairy products as well.
The transformation has been remarkable. Not only is he in great shape and prime fitness physically, the diet also seems to have helped him mentally. He often says how much the diet plan has helped him be more confident about himself.
According to The Times of India, Kohli started this diet last year and since then is said to have been feeling stronger as his digestive power has increased. He isn’t missing meat, eggs or dairy. Anushka Sharma, the famous Bollywood actress, and Kohli’s wife had also turned vegetarian around the same time as her husband.
A romantic, Kohli a private person as well
Kohli and Anushka are one of the power couples in India when it comes to celebrities. Both are on top of their respective fields and their love for each other is something one can sense. We often get to see the two setting social media in the fire with adorable photos which has love written all over.
Meanwhile, Kohli is highly respectful and set the ball rolling in a romantic way during Karva Chauth. The two fasted together on Karva Chauth and shared a picture of them celebrating the festival. That was such a pleasing sight.
The two were also extremely private when it came to their wedding. They celebrated the same at the Borgo Finocchieto in Italy. With Virat and Anushka both being much-loved public figures, they were immensely successful in keeping their ceremony private far away from any sort of attention.
After being in a steady relationship for over four years, the couple tied the knot on December 11, 2017. Their wedding was followed by grand receptions in Delhi and Mumbai.
A traveler’s guide: Virushka have set the bar
Another interesting aspect of Kohli off the field is his love for travel. He often takes quality time off his schedule and visits some exotic locations in the world. The timely breaks also help him in taking the focus away and spend some quality time with his wife.
This time, Kohli chose a different way to celebrate his birthday. The star cricketer went hiking with wife in his birthday week. They are in Bhutan after choosing to be away from all the limelight. A day before Kohli’s birthday, Anushka took to Instagram to share their hiking story. With a series of multiple photos, the actress penned down a lengthy post writing about their experience of a happy encounter in the mountains.
“Whoever knows Virat and me very closely, know that both of us live for such moments of genuine, simple & pure human connection. It fills us with such joy and peace knowing that they just wanted to be kind to two random foreigners ( plus our guide ) without seeking anything in return. If this is not the true meaning of life then I don’t know what is. A memory we will cherish forever,” she wrote on Instagram.
Kohli also shared a photo on Twitter.
What a blessing to be able to visit such divine places with my soulmate. Also thank you everyone for your kind wishes from the bottom of my heart. 🙏😇❤️ pic.twitter.com/ww8HfE7o4Z
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) November 5, 2019