Where the spotlight often illuminates the on-field exploits and competitive nature of athletes, it is the off-field gestures that occasionally reveal the true character of these sports icons.
One such instance, as narrated by Bhogle, casts a warm glow on Kohli’s compassionate persona, often overshadowed by his aggressive batting style and on-field intensity.
Here’s the story in the words of Harsha Bhogle:
Bhogle’s narrative centres on a colleague’s daughter battling cancer; and during her difficult journey, she found solace in a recorded message from Kohli.
The message, which was arranged by a journalist close to Kohli, played a significant role in uplifting the young girl’s spirits and providing her with the strength to fight her illness.
As the girl’s health improved and she celebrated her recovery, her family sought an opportunity for her to meet Kohli in person and express her gratitude for the profound impact his message had on her during her darkest hours. Despite not having direct access to Kohli, a media colleague reached out to the cricketer’s wife, Anushka Sharma.
Kohli graciously agreed to meet the young girl. During their meeting, which took place when the Indian team was in Australia for the T20 World Cup 2022, Kohli spent half an hour with the girl, displaying a warm and compassionate demeanour and congratulating her for her recovery.
Kohli recently overtook football star Neymar Jr to become the second most followed athlete on X, formerly known as Twitter. As of now, the 35-year-old Kohli has 63.6 million followers, just ahead of the 32-year-old Brazilian, who has 63.5 million. This impressive follower count highlights Kohli’s vast global influence.
