"You don't feel like owning 'toys' as such, it is about being practical" - Virat Kohli on selling most of his cars
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star player Virat Kohli has opened up about selling most of his car collection, branding them as "impulsive buys".
Many Indian cricketers are automobile enthusiasts, including former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. But their busy nomadic schedule often prevents them from enjoying their prized possessions. Kohli has encountered the same trouble over the years, leading him to gradually sell a majority of his car collection.
Kohli said in the RCB Bold Diaries during the team photoshoot that he realized buying cars and adding them to his assembly was a "pointless" endeavor.
"Most of the cars I used to own were impulsive buys, I ended up hardly driving or traveling in them as well," he said. "Beyond a point, I was like this is pointless, so I ended up selling most of them and now we only use what we absolutely need to."
"I think it is also part of growing up and being more aware and mature about things as well," Kohli continued. "You don't feel like owning 'toys' as such, it is about being practical."
In a previous interaction, Kohli had revealed that his first car was a Tata Safari, which he bought in 2008. He had expressed his love for SUVs at the time and added that he incorporated a fully-fledged music system in it as well, which was a trend in Delhi during that time.
In 2020, Kohli's first Audi car, an R8 model, was seen lying on the police station premises in Delhi. He has been a brand ambassador for Audi India in the past and he purchased the model in 2012 before selling it in 2016 for an upgrade.
Sagar Thakkar, the person to whom Kohli sold his car, was apparently involved in some financial scam, leading to the police seizing the vehicle.
"If I am able to get to the level I want to play at and help the team, it will be exciting" - Virat Kohli
While RCB had a relatively successful campaign in 2022, finishing third overall, it was a tournament to forget for Virat Kohli. The ace batter was not among the runs at the top of the order or at No. 3, and his slump continued for a while after that as well.
Having regained his form and scored runs across all formats in 2023 so far, Kohli is raring to go for RCB in IPL 2023. Ahead of the tournament, the former skipper said in a video released by RCB's social media handles:
"I am just back to playing the way I do. There's still a lot of room to get to my best which hopefully happens in the IPL if I am able to get to the level I want to play at and help the team it will be exciting."
The cricketer recently joined the team's training camp ahead of the start of the season. He was present at the team's first full training session before the RCB Unbox event to honor AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle's contributions over the years.
How many runs will Kohli score in IPL 2023? Let us know what you think.