Virat Kohli addressed the media right ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final match between India and Bangladesh where he stated how the team is happy to reach the semis and how all the credit goes to the Indian players. Hoping to reach the finals, Virat added that the rival team is a skilled side and is among the top 8 teams in the world which has taken some huge strides in the last couple of years.
On being asked about his strategy for the match, Virat stated how, “My thinking is always the same before big matches. My thinking does not change for any match. Once you are in a knockout stage, the team gets into a tough zone”.
So right before the match, we thought we’d take a sneak peek into his Instagram account to take a closer look at who he follows. And here’s what we found.
With the boys yesterday at our stopover from London to Birmingham. 😎 A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) on Jun 14, 2017 at 12:16am PDT
With a whopping 14 million followers on Instagram, Virat Kohli has surely beaten the likes of film stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi who are at 7.7m, 4.2 and 7.9m respectively. But we were pretty disappointed to see him following only 79 people. Maybe his gruelling schedule does not allow him a lot of time. But anyway, here’s taking a look at who Virat Kohli follows:
Cricket, cricket and more cricket
Happy birthday paaji 🙏😊. May god bless you with more happiness and peace in life. My cricket hero always 👌🔝🔝 @sachintendulkar A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) on Apr 23, 2017 at 11:17pm PDT
Well, what do you expect from the captain of the Indian cricket team? Of course, he follows the whole team alongside International greats such as Brett Lee and Shane Watson.
Great company part 2. 😎😎Off to bengaluruuuuu. ✌🏻️👏🏻🇮🇳 @mahi7781 @yuvisofficial A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) on Mar 20, 2016 at 5:09am PDT
His ladylove
Everyday is a valentine day if you want it to be. You make everyday seem like one for me ❤❤. @anushkasharma A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) on Feb 14, 2017 at 11:33pm PST
Their love story is growing stronger with each passing day and they’re yet another example of the close proximity between Bollywood and sports. Whether it is actress Sharmila Tagore and cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, or Harbhajan Singh and Geeta Basra, cricket and Bollywood is definitely a match made in heaven. Not only this, Bollywood stars such as SRK and Preity Zinta, besides being actors, also own IPL teams.
But coming back to the point, we love how dedicated Virat and Anushka are towards each other and have stood through thick and thin amid numerous controversies.
A handful of Bollywood personalities
Besides Amitabh Bachchan, Virat seems to have a fondness for Arijit Singh’s voice (we’re presuming) for he is a lone rider amid cricketers. Virat also follows comedian and actor Mallika Dua, maybe for some lighter moments right after a gruelling match.
An animal lover
I share this picture because i love the compassion and the pure love that animals possess and how they are unbothered by the world. Too many people nowadays days are busy trolling and making fun of people and i think most have forgotten the meaning of humanity and respect. If only we could learn from these beautiful creatures who we share the planet with and learn to be secure and do something about or lives rather than sitting at home and waiting to bring others down. I feel bad for those who do these things and i give more power and strength to those with a vision in life. Good day to everyone 🙏#makeyourlifecount A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) on Mar 5, 2016 at 11:12pm PST
He seems to be really fond of animals and follows a number of Instagram accounts of dog lovers and those created for awareness and protection of wild animals.
His tennis favourites
Great tennis session with the boys. 👌👊@rahulkl @cheteshwar_pujara @rashwin99 A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) on Jul 28, 2016 at 5:30pm PDT
All Federer and Maria Sharapova fans can rejoice because you guys have company. Yes, Virat Kohli follows them too.
Catch the India versus Bangladesh ICC Champions Trophy live tomorrow