"At 3 or 3:30 AM he goes, 'We are gonna ride these bicycles to Colombo'"- Virat Kohli shares hilarious memories of Yuvraj Singh in wholesome birthday wish
Virat Kohli on Sunday shared a wholesome birthday wish for his former teammate and one of India's best all-rounders, Yuvraj Singh, who has turned 40 today. The Test captain recollected a hilarious anecdote, giving an insight into their long-time friendship, as he wished Yuvi Pa 'love and prosperity'.
Speaking in a video through his Instagram stories, Kohli spoke about his early memories as an Under-19 graduate and how Yuvraj Singh made him feel comfortable in the senior team. Kohli recalled their similar hobbies and penchant for all things Punjabi and shopping, saying:
"I had come in from the Under-19 World Cup; he welcomed me very nicely, made me comfortable, started joking around with me, and we liked similar kind of food. We are both Punjabis, love Punjabi music, getting nice clothes, shoes (chuckles); all these kinds of things have remained common over the years. We used to go out and do quite a bit of shopping together in a group obviously; so the likes were quite similar."
Virat Kohli then spoke about how on a tour of Sri Lanka, Yuvraj Singh planned to cycle from Dambulla to Colombo (almost 160 km) on a bicycle, leaving everyone 'laughing on the floor'. Kohli said about the hilarious episode:
"We were in Dambulla; it was a couple of days off a match and literally at 3 or 3:30 in the morning he goes, 'We are gonna ride these bicycles to Colombo' and I clearly remember we all fell down laughing on the floor because it was just outrageous. We had a match in two days' time."
402 international matches 👍
11,778 international runs & 148 wickets 👌
2007 World T20 & 2011 World Cup-winner 🏆 🏆
Here's wishing @YUVSTRONG12 a very happy birthday. 🎂 👏 #TeamIndia
Let's relive his batting masterclass against England 🎥 🔽
In all likelihood, this was Kohli's debut series in 2008 where India played two ODIs at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. After the series, both Singh and Kohli went on to scale greater heights for India, including the 2011 World Cup triumph.
"Lots of love always" - Virat Kohli to Yuvraj Singh
Kohli, while offering his best wishes, shared some of their photos together in the Indian team.
Birthday wish to @YUVSTRONG12 from @imVkohli 🍰❤ https://t.co/aVccJ2NbMM
He wrote:
"Happy birthday Yuvi Pa! Lots of peace, happiness and prosperity to you and lots of love always. And my best wishes to you."
Singh made his international comeback under Kohli, but lost his place in the aftermath of the 2017 Champions Trophy. He has teased a return to the pitch a couple of times, but it remains to be seen if he is serious. Kohli, meanwhile, will be back in action on December 26 in South Africa.