Days after he announced his decision to miss the ongoing Test series against England due to “personal reasons,” India’s star batter Virat Kohli took to social media on Tuesday, February 20, to share that he and Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma were now parents to a baby boy. In a joint statement, the couple said the child was born on February 15 and they have named him Akaay. Virat and Anushka also have an elder daughter named Vamika, who is three years old.
“With abundant happiness and our hearts full of love, we are pleased to inform everyone that on 15th February, we welcomed our baby boy Akaay, Vamika’s little brother, into this world! We seek your blessings and good wishes in this beautiful time in our lives. We request you to kindly respect our privacy at this time. Love and gratitude, Virat and Anushka,” the post read.
The news had the cricket fraternity and many Bollywood bigwigs rushing to congratulate the couple. Cricket veteran Sachin Tendulkar tweeted, “Congratulations to Virat and Anushka on the arrival of Akaay, a precious addition to your beautiful family! Just like his name lights up the room, may he fill your world with endless joy and laughter. Here’s to the adventures and memories you'll cherish forever. Welcome to the world, little champ!”
Cricket commentator and bowling all-rounder Irfan Pathan sent his love, saying, “Congratulations to both of you. May god bless AKAAY with long life and abundance of happiness.” Badminton star PV Sindhu wrote, “Congratulations to @imVkohli and @AnushkaSharma on the arrival of their baby boy! Wishing your little bundle of joy a lifetime filled with love, laughter, and endless blessings.”
The official handles of Indian Premier League (IPL) teams, including the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings, also extended their love and wishes to the happy parents.
Bollywood also joined the party, with actors including Aliaa Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Madhuri Dixit, and Sonam Kapoor congratulating the couple. “How beautiful! Congratulations,” Alia wrote under Anushka’s Instagram post.
Virat and Anushka tied the knot on December 11, 2017 in Italy. Anushka was last seen in the Netflix film Qala, in which she made a cameo appearance. She is next expected to appear as the protagonist on Chakda Xpress, a sports biopic on the renowned cricketer Jhulan Goswami.