Virat Kohli turns 26: Why women love the bad boy of Indian cricket

Virat Kohli is affectionately called "Cheeku" in the Indian dressing room © Getty Images

By Shagufta Khan

If MS Dhoni is Captain Cool, a million and one fluttering female hearts will attest to the fact that Virat Kohli is Captain Smouldering Hot.

Kohli, a prodigious cricketing talent, ticks all the right boxes when it comes to the XX chromosomes. All of 26, he has garnered respect and acclaim between the twenty two yards of the cricketing field and outside it. But what is it that makes Kohli irresistible to the majority of the female population?

While nothing could ruffle perpetually composed Indian cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, and Dhoni, Kohli carries his heart on his sleeve, and looks pretty darn hot doing it. The spearhead of the Indian batting line up is a hot-blooded young man who has plenty of aggressiveness up his sleeve, and he does not mind using it.

He has the hot, brooding look about him that fires up all feminine instincts in a thousand mile-radius, making him the catch of the century. Kohli is known to give as good as he gets, on and off the field. The poster boy of the generation next of the Men in Blue is not averse to the occasional sledging and letting his fingers talk for him. “Arrogant”, “haughty” and “brash” are words often associated with him, but then who doesn’t like a bad boy? He looks like he could take care of you, and then some.

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Not to mention, the intense eyes, the chiselled jaw, the stubble, the bulging biceps and the stylishly set hair make him pretty easy on the eyes. Neither too lean and neither too bulky, Kohli is one of those rare men who got their physique right,. He looks pretty good with a shirt on, and perhaps even better without it. He is a fitness freak, and it shows. He also sports multiple, detailed ink and carries it off like nobody’s business.

If that wasn’t enough for girls to give their salivary glands a thorough workout  with excessive production of drool, the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain is an unapologetic, unabashed lover of shopping and freely admits to stocking and restocking his wardrobe full of beautiful clothes for his beautiful body. A man that likes to shop? He is like a shiny unicorn in a sea of ordinary horses!

Always impeccably dressed, with an innate sense of fashion, he even risks an experiment or two in his search for the ultimate outfit that makes him look like the million dollar specimen of male beauty that he is. His rough looks and stylish ways are a delicious contrast in themselves, because Kohli cleans up well is an understatement. He wields his Oakleys, Tom Fords and Armanis with the same ease he wields his bat with, and looks mighty comfortable doing it. A stylish, well-dressed man? What girl in her right mind would not want him, especially if he looked like Kohli?

Unlike the older, sedate generation of Indian Cricketers, the present bunch parties as hard as they work, Virat being their ringleader. That the ‘Prince of Chase’ likes to party is no secret. If sources are to be believed, Kohli knows how to have a good time. He likes the money that comes with his job, and likes to spend it too; cool gadgets, pricey accessories and fancy cars being his vices. A self-made man, now that is hard to resist.

British cricketer Danielle Wyatt proposed marriage to Kohli on Twitter and  Bollywood beauty Anushka Sharma seems very taken by our Delhi boy. So what are the chances of us ordinary beings being able to resist Virat’s lethal charm? Slim, very slim.

One often reads about Kohli’s passion and commitment to the game of cricket. An 18-year old Virat had stayed back and made 90 for Delhi before making his way to his father’s funeral. When presented with the blue jersey, this number eighteen not only faced off against the best, but also fought a personal battle with his own demons, his anger, his attempts to stay grounded in the midst of unprecedented cricketing stardom and fought his way to become one of the most consistent, yet destructive batsman.

And yet, he is a mamma’s boy and the ‘Cheeku’ of the dressing room. He is emotional, he is transparent and he is uber-competitive, even when he is playing football, the other love of his life. He is the ubiquitous alpha male who likes his pink tees, breaks into the Gangnam Style with his other famous friends, cuddles his dog and takes selfies doing it and doesn’t shy away from admitting that he enjoys the game of cricket and the fame that comes with it. He has fought and clawed his way to reach where he is today, and for that one cannot help but respect him.

Some say cricketing glory to rival that of his idol Sachin Tendulkar awaits him. Who would not want to wait and watch?

What is there not to like?

(Shagufta Khan is a freelance writer, bibliophile, cricket enthusiast, and proud Indian)