"I sit down and think, what if my dad was here" – Virat Kohli tells Dinesh Karthik
In an interview with Dinesh Karthik for Sky Sports, Virat Kohli opened up about missing his father, his tryst with fatherhood, and his wife, Anushka Sharma. The Indian skipper lost his father, Prem Kohli, in December 2006, less than two years before he made his international debut for India.
Before his international debut in August 2008, Virat Kohli led India to an Under-19 World Cup triumph in Malaysia earlier that year. That’s another significant milestone that his father missed.
On being asked about missing his father, Virat Kohli 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."
Dinesh Karthik posted a teaser of the interview on his social media channels and captioned the post:
"What a week it has been! Spoke to the superstar of world cricket about fatherhood, his love life, spirituality, social media, leadership and of course Team INDIA Red heart. Coming soon!"
Virat Kohli is currently in England, leading the Indian side for the five-Test tour of England that marks the start of the second cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC). The first Test of the series starts on Wednesday at Trent Bridge.
I started joking around with Anushka Sharma: Virat Kohli
The teaser also shows Virat Kohli openly talking about his love life and his first meeting with Bollywood superstar Anushka Sharma, who later became his wife.
"I started joking around with her. She said this was the first time I saw someone joking around me about the things I have experienced as a child. So that really connected," said Virat Kohli.
In December 2017, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma tied the knot in Italy. The couple was blessed with a daughter in January 2021.
A part of the Sky Sports commentary team, Dinesh Karthik is an active cricketer who plays for Tamil Nadu and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
His last India appearance came under Virat Kohli’s captaincy during the 2019 World Cup in England. He also played the first two Tests under Virat Kohli during India’s tour of England in 2018.
Trivia: Dinesh Karthik has played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) under Virat Kohli's captaincy during the 2015 IPL. RCB picked him up at auction that year for a whopping INR 10.5 crore.
The 36-year-old is attracting praise for his commentary. With players breaking down becoming more frequent, Dinesh Karthik is also carrying his cricket kit with him, just in case Team India requires a backup.