Virat Kohli with Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri. File
| Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar
Star India cricketer Virat Kohli, who is a good friend of national football captain Sunil Chhetri, says the stalwart is at peace with his decision to retire after a World Cup qualifying match next month and had informed him before announcing it to the world.
Chhetri, India’s most capped (150 matches) player and also the country’s top goal-scorer (94), on May 16 announced that he will retire after the game against Kuwait in Kolkata on June 6.
“He (Chhetri) is a really great player. He actually messaged me as well informing that he’s going to do that. But I would actually say I felt like he is at peace with the decision,” Kohli said in a short video interview on his IPL side Royal Challengers Benagluru’s ‘X’ page.
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“I have become very close with him over the years and I wish the best. He is a lovely, lovely guy.” Kohli also informed that his daughter Vamika has recently started swinging a bat but said he would never force his kids to take up cricket.
Kohli and his actor wife Anushka Sharma were blessed with a daughter Vamika, in 2021 and recently also welcomed a son, Akaay.
“My daughter picked up a bat and she is really enjoying swinging the bat. But it’s their choice again only,” he said.
RCB are currently placed sixth in the IPL standings with 12 points from 13 games and will take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings in a must-win match here on Friday.
RCB made a remarkable comeback with five straight wins after enduring a six-game losing streak to stay afloat in the play-off race. “The month of May has been very good. We found a ray of sunlight. We are glad that we have made the fans happy again,” Kohli said of their fightback.