“Jitni cheezi Rohit Sharma bhulta hain, utna maine kisiko nahi dekha bhulte hue” - Viral Kohli discloses 3 secrets of the Hitman
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are Indian cricket’s two big superstars of the current generation. While Rohit is currently in charge of the national team across all formats, Kohli did the same before him. Both have made a name for themselves with their match-winning skills as well as their ability to inspire as leaders.
Over the years, there have been numerous rumors of all not being well between the two modern-day giants of Indian cricket. But neither Kohli nor Rohit have ever agreed to the outside observation.
In fact, both players have been effusive in their praise of each other. When Rohit was struggling during Kohli’s tenure, the latter backed him to the hilt. The reverse holds true under current circumstances.
Apart from their cricketing skills, both star players are also known for their sense of humor off the field.
In this feature, we take a look at three secrets Kohli has revealed about Rohit, that too in his inimitable style.
#1 Rohit Sharma’s forgetful nature
During his appearance on the chat show, ‘Breakfast with Champions’, Kohli said that he has never seen someone as forgetful as Rohit.
He revealed that the opening batter has a habit of forgetting everything from his phone to his wallet. Kohli elaborated:
“Jitni cheezi Rohit Sharma bhulta hain, utna maine kisiko nahi dekha bhulte hue (The number of things Rohit Sharma forgets, I’ve never seen anyone else being so forgetful).
"iPad, wallet, phone…not the small things, but daily-use essentials. It's almost like, 'I don’t care, I’ll get a new one'. He has no idea he’s left something. Sometimes, the bus would have traveled halfway to the hotel and then he remembers ‘Oh, I left my iPad on the plane’.”
The former skipper added that there have been instances when the Hitman has even forgotten his passport. Kohli recalled:
“He's also left his passport a few times. It was really difficult retrieving it. Now, the logistical manager always asks, ‘Does Rohit Sharma have all his stuff?’. Once he gets a yes, only then does the bus depart.”
Both Rohit and Kohli are currently preparing for the Asia Cup, which will begin in the UAE from August 27.
#2 Funny Hitman’s tapori lingo
During the same show, Kohli also described Rohit as one of the funniest people he has encountered.
He shared details of the current Indian captain speaking in a typical Mumbai street lingo (Tapori) and hilariously explained how it is difficult to decipher what he is trying to say. Kohli said:
“Rohit Sharma is actually one of the funniest people you will ever come across. If he has to speak about something, he will do so in his typical ‘tapori’ (Mumbai Street lingo) style. For example, if he wants to say there’s a lot of traffic in Lokhandwala, he’ll say, ‘There’s a lot of this over there’.”
Kohli continued:
“Then we wait for 5-10 seconds. But, he is still like ‘it’s very this, man’. Basically, it is up to us to try and understand what he is saying. According to him, from his end, he has said everything. So, it’s up to the others to try and figure out what he exactly meant!”
Kohli and Rohit are India’s top two leading run-getters in T20I cricket. Both have scored over 3000 runs in the shortest format.
#3 Kohli on Rohit’s bizarre sleep pattern
A few years back, Kohli made an appearance on the television show 'Comedy Nights with Kapil'.
While sharing the secrets of some of his teammates, he spoke about Rohit’s habit of sleeping in the most uncomfortable of places. Kohli said:
“Sabse uncomfortable jagah hogi, waha par bhi so jaayega woh. Itna sote hue maine kisi ko nai dekha (He can sleep even in the most uncomfortable place. Have never seen anyone sleep so much).”
Kohli added that Hitman is not an early riser and wakes up late even if he sleeps early. He commented:
“Late sota hai toh late uthta hi hai, time pe sota hai to bhi late uthta hai (Even if he sleeps on time, he will wake up late).”
Kohli and Rohit made their international debuts a little over a year apart. While Rohit played his first international match against Ireland on June 23, 2007, Kohli made his debut on this day (August 18) in 2008.
Also Read: 5 current commentators who were part of India's 2007 T20 World Cup squad with Rohit Sharma