Indian cricketer Virat Kohli. — Reuters

Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, November 27

Indian cricketer Virat Kohli has been granted paternity leave by BCCI. The Indian skipper would play the first match of the four-Test series against Australia, and head back home for the birth of his first child.

During a virtual press conference, Kohli revealed that he had communicated his decision to the selection committee in advance, that he wanted to be with his wife and actress Anushka sharma.

“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,” said Kohli during the presser.

Kohli described it a special moment, saying he always wanted to be by wife Anushka’s side when the couple’s 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,” he said.

Kohli has been utterly successful with the bat in Australia.

He agreed to the fact that while it can be intimidating to play cricket over here, good performance does get the respect it deserves.

“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,” Kohli said.