Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli selected names from the list of current cricketers to form his own Kabaddi team when he attended the opening day of Pro Kabaddi League season seven Mumbai leg on Saturday.
Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli selected names from the list of current cricketers to form his own Kabaddi team when he attended the opening day of Pro Kabaddi League season seven Mumbai leg on Saturday.
Not only did the 30-year-old watch the first ‘Maharashtra Derby’ between U Mumba and Puneri Paltan of the season, but he also sang the national anthem along with Kabaddi players of both the teams at the NSCI Dome in Worli.
“It requires a lot of strength and athleticism. So I would say, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav. Umesh is really strong. Rishabh Pant as well. I would say Bumrah because he can really work on a toe-touch. One more… I am not even going to include myself because these guys are stronger and more athletic. The last one would be KL Rahul. That’s my seven,” Kohli told Star Sports.
Drawing parallels between the cricket and kabaddi teams, Kohli said, “Rahul Chaudhari and Ajay Thakur. They have a great camaraderie. So I think those two would be a direct copy of me and Mahi.”
Before attending the opening day of Mumbai leg, Kohli tweeted a video in which he talked about the fitness and determination of the Kabaddi players.
“Kabaddi has taken a leap in the sports culture in our country since the inception of Pro Kabaddi League. Seeing a sport that we all have played as kids get to this stature today gives a different feeling altogether, especially when you know that the Indian kabaddi team is one of the best ones in the world,” said Kohli.
“Then seeing how players from all over the globe come to India to be a part of the PKL shows that the level of the sport has been escalated exponentially. The reason kabaddi has become a world recognised sport is due to the fitness and determination of Indian kabaddi players,” he added.
Not only did the 30-year-old watch the first ‘Maharashtra Derby’ between U Mumba and Puneri Paltan of the season, but he also sang the national anthem along with Kabaddi players of both the teams at the NSCI Dome in Worli.
“It requires a lot of strength and athleticism. So I would say, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav. Umesh is really strong. Rishabh Pant as well. I would say Bumrah because he can really work on a toe-touch. One more… I am not even going to include myself because these guys are stronger and more athletic. The last one would be KL Rahul. That’s my seven,” Kohli told Star Sports.
Drawing parallels between the cricket and kabaddi teams, Kohli said, “Rahul Chaudhari and Ajay Thakur. They have a great camaraderie. So I think those two would be a direct copy of me and Mahi.”
Before attending the opening day of Mumbai leg, Kohli tweeted a video in which he talked about the fitness and determination of the Kabaddi players.
“Kabaddi has taken a leap in the sports culture in our country since the inception of Pro Kabaddi League. Seeing a sport that we all have played as kids get to this stature today gives a different feeling altogether, especially when you know that the Indian kabaddi team is one of the best ones in the world,” said Kohli.
“Then seeing how players from all over the globe come to India to be a part of the PKL shows that the level of the sport has been escalated exponentially. The reason kabaddi has become a world recognised sport is due to the fitness and determination of Indian kabaddi players,” he added.