At this stage of his life and career, few things surprise Virat Kohli, but even the great man was left speechless when he stumbled upon a childhood version of himself on the eve of the Rajkot ODI. A day before India played New Zealand in the series opener, a young fan who looked like a spitting image of Kohli from his younger days caught social media and Kohli’s attention. The striking resemblance got everyone talking, and even Kohli couldn’t stop smiling, looking at the young fan. The kid took Kohli’s autograph and got pictures clicked with Virat, Rohit Sharma, Arshdeep Singh and other members of the Indian team. (Also Read: Virat Kohli runs into his childhood lookalike, fans say, ‘19–20 ka fark bhi nahi hai’)
As it turns out, even Kohli acknowledged the fact that the young fan was indeed ‘Chhota Chiku’. Chiku was Kohli’s nickname (and still is), famously revealed by MS Dhoni during their playing days for India. The young fan, in an interview, revealed his meeting with Indian cricketers, and especially Kohli, who called him ‘Chota Chiku’ and also shared it with Rohit Sharma.
‘Woh dekh mera duplicate baitha hai’, Kohli tells Rohit
“I like Virat Kohli’s style and aura,” the young fan said in a video chat. “When I took his name, he looked at me, waved hi and said ‘I’ll be back shortly’. Then he told Rohit Sharma ‘Woh dekh mera duplicate baitha hai’ (My duplicate is sitting right there). He called me Chota Chiku. I met KL Rahul, Arshdeep, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.”
Kohli has grown fond of kids since becoming a father of two. On January 11, 2021, Kohli and his wife, Anushka Sharma, became parents to Vamika, and four years later, to Akaay. While the kids have been kept away from the public limelight, Kohli has often shown a soft spot for kids, entertaining their requests ahead of those of grown-ups.
These days, Kohli’s appearances have gotten far and few. Having retired from Tests and T20Is, Kohli, when not playing ODIs, spends his time with his family in London, away from the public’s and media’s glare. Fortunately for Kohli fans, unlike last year, when he stayed away from cricket for six months, their idol will be playing a lot more. After the New Zealand ODIs, Kohli will be back in action from March 26 as the IPL rolls in, followed by India’s tour of England in July. Following this, India will play 12 more ODIs across series against Bangladesh, Afghanistan, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, and in New Zealand.
