Virat Kohli birthday: 5 Virat Kohli interactions with fans that won hearts
Team India superstar Virat Kohli celebrates his 34th birthday on Saturday, November 5. The seasoned batter is currently in Australia, representing the Men in Blue in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.
He has been in terrific form with the willow in the tournament and is currently the leading run-getter in the competition, having notched up 220 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 144.73.
Cricket fans in Adelaide wished the star batter a happy birthday in advance as the Team India continent headed to Melbourne for their final Super 12 match, which will be played against Zimbabwe on Sunday, November 6.
As Kohli passed by, he spotted some young fans holding a “Happy Birthday King Kohli” poster. He acknowledged their wishes with a thumbs-up gesture.
While Kohli is known to be an extremely aggressive character on the cricket field, he is equally affable off it. A number of his admirers have experienced the genial side of the batter.
On his 34th birthday, we look back at five interactions between Kohli and his fans that won hearts.
#1 When Kohli took blessings from an 87-year-old Indian fan
During India’s 2019 World Cup campaign, an elderly fan cheering passionately for the Men in Blue grabbed a lot of people’s attention. It was later learned that the fan was 87-year-old Charulata Patel.
Kohli was thrilled to see the elderly lady root for the Indian team with great vigor. After India’s match against Bangladesh during that World Cup in England, he personally went and met Patel.
Sharing his experience of meeting the dedicated admirer, he wrote on Twitter:
“Also would like to thank all our fans for all the love & support & especially Charulata Patel ji. She’s 87 and probably one of the most passionate & dedicated fans I’ve ever seen. Age is just a number, the passion takes you leaps & bounds. With her blessings, on to the next one.”
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Also would like to thank all our fans for all the love & support & especially Charulata Patel ji. She's 87 and probably one of the most passionate & dedicated fans I've ever seen. Age is just a number, passion takes you leaps & bounds. With her blessings, on to the next one. 🙏🏼😇 https://t.co/XHII8zw1F2
Termed Indian cricket’s superfan, Patel sadly passed away in January 2020.
#2 Kohli gifted jersey to a special fan during his 100th Test
Kohli added to his list of milestones when he played his 100th Test during a home series against Sri Lanka in March this year. He was awarded a guard of honor by teammates during his special Test in Mohali. He had a reasonable match, scoring a fluent 45 before being bowled by Lasith Embuldeniya.
To make matters extra special for Kohli, Team India went on to win the game by an innings and 222 runs. However, the former Indian captain decided to make a specially-abed fan’s day by gifting him a jersey.
In a viral video, Kohli was seen walking up to a special fan, Dharmveer Pal, and gifting him an India T-shirt before boarding the team bus. Pal himself took to Twitter to write about the cricketer’s humble gesture. He posted:
"Wow it's great day my life @imVkohli he's 100th test match he's gifts me t shirts wow."
#viratkholi #ViratKohli100thTest #KingKohliWow it's great day my life @imVkohli he's 100th test match he's gifts me t shirts wow 😲 #viratkholi #ViratKohli100thTest #KingKohli https://t.co/mxALApy89H
Pal is known as the unofficial 12th man of the Indian team for being a hugely passionate supporter of the Men in Blue.
#3 When Virat took an autograph instead of giving one!
Kohli has fans in all age groups - from children to youngsters to the elderly. The cricketer has often been spotted interacting with young kids and sharing his knowledge of the game.
However, on one occasion, he and his wife Anushka Sharma were taken aback when a seven-year-old boy asked the former Indian captain whether he would like to get his autograph. Kohli willingly obliged!
In a video, the batter and Anushka can be seen smiling as the kid signs a piece of paper and hands it over to the star cricketer. The cute incident took place during India’s tour of the West Indies in 2019. A Twitter user named Amit Lakhani, while sharing the clip, wrote:
“My 7 year old nephew, who is in Jamaica for the first test, caught @imVkohli off-guard when he went up to him and told him "would you like my autograph instead?".Stopped in his tracks and indulged him. Anushka too.. 😍😍 #kohli #ViratKohli #INDvsWI.”
My 7 year old nephew, who is in Jamaica for the first test , caught @imVkohli off-guard when he went up to him and told him "would you like my autograph instead?".Stopped in his tracks and indulged him. Anushka too.. 😍😍 #kohli #ViratKohli #INDvsWI https://t.co/9giCgJr3oB
Kohli-led India played two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is inthe Westt Indies in 2019, emerging victorious in all three formats.
#4 When he showed his video call with Anushka to fans
This was quite a unique gesture from Kohli, but one that left his fans pleasantly surprised. The Team India batter was on a video call with Anushka on the team bus while returning to the hotel after the end of the first T20I against South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram in September this year.
Indian fans had gathered around the team bus to get a glimpse of their stars. In a charming gesture, Kohli showed his mobile, with Anushka on the screen, to the fans. The cricketer then smiled radiantly even as his admirers appreciated him with loud cheers.
A Virat Kohli fan club posted a video of the cricketer showing his mobile to fans even as he was in the midst of a video call with Anushka. The clip was uploaded with the caption:
“@imVkohli In Video Call With @AnushkaSharma While Returning From Match And Shows It To Fans. #Virushka #INDvSA.”
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@imVkohli In Video Call With @AnushkaSharma While Returning From Match And Shows It To Fans 😂🤣💖
#Virushka #INDvSA https://t.co/YRVLNwZCiq
The Indian camp was in a happy mood as the hosts had beaten South Africa by eight wickets in the opening T20I of the three-match series.
#5 When he bowled over a specially-abled fan from Pakistan with his warmth
During the Asia Cup 2022 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kohli turned around his poor form in a rather sensational fashion. During the tournament, he interacted with a number of his well-wishers. The right-handed batter also took some time out from a practice session to meet a specially-abled fan from Pakistan named Noor.
Following the interaction, the Pakistan fan was overwhelmed by the often-misunderstood superstar’s humble nature. Speaking to paktv.tv on YouTube after her meeting with the Indian cricketer, Noor revealed:
"He asked me how am I and spoke to me elegantly."
The Team India star also clicked a selfie with Noor, which went viral on social media. Noor's sister was also present with her. Sharing her experience, she narrated:
“He spoke to us so well. I’ve heard that Kohli has the attitude, but he met us so generously and gave us time.”
Kohli finished the Asia Cup 2022 as the second-leading run-getter with 276 runs in five matches at an average of 92 and a strike rate of 147.59.
Also Read: 5 massive Sachin Tendulkar records that Virat Kohli has already broken