Almost three months ago, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli had joyously announced their pregnancy to the world. Taking to social media, the couple had shared that their first child is due in January 2021. Soon after, Virat had opened up about embracing parenthood and eventually applied for paternity leave to be with wife Anushka during her due date.
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As the Indian skipper’s leave has been granted by the BCCI, he will now play only the first match of the four-Test series against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Virat, who will fly back home for the birth of his first child, revealed that he had communicated his decision to the selection committee well in advance.
He was quoted saying by HT,
“The decision was made before the selection meeting that I will be flying back before the first Test. It was purely based on the fact that there was a quarantine period in both ways. I wanted to be back in time to be with my wife for the birth of our first child.”
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Calling it a special moment, the current Indian captain said he always wanted to be by his wife Anushka’s side when their child arrives.
“It is very, very special and a beautiful moment in our lives and that was the reason for my decision that was communicated to the selectors.”
On the professional front, Virat has been successful with the bat in Australia. He agreed to the fact that while playing cricket can be intimidating there, good performance gets the respect it deserves. He said,
“It can be a very intimidating experience if you are not ready mentally and (not have the) skills. In every sport they are very tough, the crowd can be tough on travelling players and rightly so. But, if you perform well, you get a lot of respect. As a sportsman, I am a big fan of it. The stadiums are amazing, always a nice tour full of challenges.”
Well, we’re sure the Indian skipper will make for a doting father.