As the highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan approached in Colombo, a heartwarming moment involving star batsman Virat Kohli and a puppy captured the hearts of fans. During Team India’s training session at the R Premadasa Stadium on Friday, the former Indian captain was spotted spending time with a playful puppy on the sidelines of the ground.
While Virat Kohli is renowned for his exceptional batting skills and on-field aggression, off the field, he is equally celebrated for his compassionate nature. This endearing side of his personality was recently on full display when a video of the moment was shared by the Royal Challengers Bangalore on the microblogging site X (formerly Twitter).
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During the practice session, a tiny puppy unexpectedly entered the player circle and made a beeline for Kohli. The video shows Kohli interacting with the puppy and even playfully passing a football to the little canine before it left the ground. The caption accompanying the video aptly read, “Your morning dose of cuteness featuring the King.”
Your morning dose of cuteness featuring the King 😍🐶
📽️: Lakshya Sharma#PlayBold #TeamIndia #AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/FYcZBwiZa4
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) September 9, 2023
A keen-eyed fan quickly pointed out that this wasn’t the first instance of Virat Kohli’s affection for dogs. He shared a picture of Kohli taking a selfie with another dog and remarked, “Not for the first time.”
Not for the first time pic.twitter.com/jRuc14TeWi
— Indian Elon (@elonifiedmusk) September 8, 2023
Nice gesture from Kohli
— Lubana Warriors (@LovepreetS49) September 8, 2023
Virat and his love for dogs ❤️
— coffee fanatic 🇮🇳 (@aayushi7779) September 8, 2023
That’s why he is king! 😍
— Fahad Ansari☝️🇳🇵 (@iamfahadA) September 8, 2023
Two cuties in one video
— Ganesh Namburi (@GaneshC62660412) September 8, 2023
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma’s Indian cricket team is currently participating in the Asia Cup 2023 in Sri Lanka. Their first match of the tournament, against Pakistan on September 2, saw Kohli getting dismissed for just four runs by Shaheen Afridi. However, India managed to recover thanks to stellar performances from Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan. Unfortunately, the match had to be abandoned due to rain after the first innings.
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Despite the early setback, the 34-year-old Virat Kohli has been in remarkable form in international cricket this year. He has notched up four international centuries in 2023, including two against Sri Lanka and one each against Australia and West Indies. As India gears up for their Super Four game against Pakistan, Kohli will be aiming to make a significant impact, contributing to India’s quest for another Asia Cup final appearance.
