India batter Virat Kohli on Tuesday (20th February) announced the birth of his second child with Anushka Sharma. He shared a heartfelt message and revealed that he along with his wife Anushka Sharma have been blessed with a baby boy, whom they have named Akaay.
Virat Kohli penned down a message, saying that he along with Anushka Sharma welcomed their second child on 15th February. The India batter sought blessings from the fans and also requested everyone to respect their privacy during this time.
He stated: “With abundant happiness and our hearts full of love, we are pleased to inform everyone that on 15th February, we welcomed our baby boy Akaay & Vamika’s little brother into this world!
“We seek your blessings and good wishes in this beautiful time in our lives. We request you to kindly respect our privacy at this time. Love & Gratitude. Virat & Anushka.”
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma giving birth to a second child indicate as to why the batter opted out of the Test series against England. The batter made himself unavailable for the first two games and it was expected that he would return for the third game.
However, it wasn’t the case as Virat Kohli then also didn’t feature in the last three games. It can be assumed that the batter wanted to stay with his family and that’s why he didn’t play in the ongoing five-match Test series against England, which is currently at 2-1 with India in the lead.
Virat Kohli earlier also opted out of playing when he and Anushka Sharma gave birth to their first child. It was during the Test series against Australia in 2021 when he returned home after playing just one match in Adelaide.
Virat Kohli’s absence in the ongoing Test series against England has been quite visible. The Indian batting lineup in the middle order has looked fragile in the series. Had he been there things would’ve been different for Team India in the series.
Virat Kohli to make comeback in the IPL
Virat Kohli is now expected to make a comeback to cricket during the Indian Premier League (IPL). The league reportedly will begin from 22nd March and will end on May 26. The tournament will played just ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 and therefore it will serve as a great preparation for the batter.
Virat Kohli will be playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the league. The upcoming tournament will be crucial for the team in the context of the T20 World Cup. He recently made a comeback in the Indian team after more than one year. He played in the series against Afghanistan.
Although the batter didn’t set the stage on fire in the series but it indicated that he is very much in the plans of the team for the T20 World Cup 2024. The right-hander has always been at his best when any major tournament begins and he would be hoping to make a big impact for the team.