"My mom tells me not to swear on the field"- 5 times Virat Kohli spoke candidly about his family
Virat Kohli has millions of fans across the world. The cricket universe closely follows Kohli on and off the field as well. Fans are always eager to learn more details about the former Indian captain's personal life.
Virat Kohli is well-known for being married to Bollywood star Anushka Sharma. The power couple have a lovely daughter named Vamika.
A famous story about Virat's personal life is how he showed up to play for Delhi in a domestic match just a day after his father's demise.
While most fans would have an idea about the mentioned things about Virat Kohli's personal life, not all would know the details of his relationship with his mother, brother and sister. His mother's name is Saroj, and his siblings' names are Bhawna and Vikas.
As the star Indian cricketer turns 34 today, we will look back at the five instances where Virat candidly spoke about his family members.
#1 When Virat Kohli's mother scolded him for not eating parathas
Virat is among the fittest athletes in the world right now, but when he started playing international cricket for India, he was nowhere near his current fitness levels. He was a chubby guy who would eat and drink at parties without thinking too much about his body shape and its impact on his game.
However, after IPL 2012, Kohli made a conscious effort to improve his fitness levels. After seeing a positive change in his life and on the field, he accepted a fitter lifestyle. In his words, exercise and workouts became an 'addiction' for him.
Kohli's mother did not quite like his new diet. In an interview with Sportstar back in 2015, the former Indian skipper disclosed that his mother would scold him if he did not eat proper food.
"I get scolded by my mother. She thinks I am too thin. I should get more healthy. She wants me to have parathas. Her scolding is from that point of view. She wants to feed me well. I don’t eat home butter. She will understand the difference later I am sure," Kohli had said.
#2 How Vikas Kohli shouldered the family burden during Virat's childhood
Virat has an elder brother named Vikas Kohli. Vikas has been at stadiums regularly cheering for Virat. He has also helped his younger brother with his business off the field.
During a chat with Sportstar in 2015, Virat disclosed that Vikas had always been supportive of him. Being the third child in the family, Virat did not experience any pressure thanks to his elder siblings.
"I am very lucky I am the third child. I never had any pressure on me. My brother had to handle the responsibility of the family," said Kohli.
#3 When Virat Kohli spoke about his late father
Virat was the Indian captain when the Men in Blue reached England for an ICC World Test Championship series in August last year. Speaking with the host broadcaster before the series, Virat spoke about his late father Prem and said:
“He hasn’t seen me play for India. Now with our daughter, I see the happiness in my mother’s face. You sit down and think, what if he was here.”
#4 How Virat Kohli's elder brother would frustrate him at times
After launching his own application in 2018, Virat shared some stories from his childhood while speaking to his fans on the app. In one of the chats, Virat recalled how his brother Vikas and his friends would go home whenever Virat was the next player to bat in gully cricket matches.
"They knew I was passionate about cricket so I would take any position. Whenever it was my turn to bat, they would all just go home and I used to cry that they made me do everything but did not let me bat. It was frustrating at times," said Virat.
#5 When Virat Kohli's mother told him not to swear on the field
Virat Kohli is one of the most aggressive cricketers in the history of Indian cricket. Most of the fans like his attitude and the way he carries himself. However, his behavior has not gone down well with some fans.
Virat has always maintained that he prefers staying by himself rather than pretending to be someone he is not. At times, he loses his cool during matches and noticeably uses swear words. Virat's mother is not a fan of the way he acts on the field. In an interview with ESPNCricinfo back in 2011, Kohli disclosed:
"My mom tells me not to swear on the field. And obviously I get really embarrassed whenever she asks me. I don't tell her anything; I just ask her to give me food at that point."