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Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli is one of the fittest cricketers in world cricket. But before he brought the fitness revolution in the Indian team, he used to have chubby cheeks. In Under-19 World Cup 2008, Kohli led India to victory and was immediately picked by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to play in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, the story of his nickname ‘Cheeku’ dates back to his younger days when he used to train in Delhi. Also, it has a connection to India comic book ‘Champak’.
"I got this nickname from a coach in the Ranji Trophy. I used to have big cheeks then. In 2007, I thought I was losing hair. I got my hair cropped and my cheeks and ears stood out. I got the name from a cartoon character. The rabbit in the comic book Champak," he said.
Kohli is often seen fielding near the boundary and fans try to get his attention by calling him by his nickname. In an old appearance on famous comedian Kapil Sharma’s show, Kohli had revealed that sometimes he gets annoyed when random people call him ‘Cheeku’ as if he is their family member.
Reason behind Kohli’s nickname going viral
Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni was often head on stump mic calling Kohli ‘Cheeku’. In an interview with former England cricketer-turned-commentator Kevin Pietersen, Kohli said Dhoni is behind making his nickname viral.
"MS (Dhoni) has sort of made my nickname famous from behind the stumps. In the stumps' mic, people pick up," Kohli told Pietersen in an Instagram live during Covid-19 pandemic.
Kohli’s new nickname
As Kohli has continued to break records in international cricket and in the IPL, he has been given the nickname ‘King Kohli’. The nickname has been used in the last few years and has become viral on social media.
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Kohli’s T20 World Cup numbers
Kohli is set to play in his sixth edition of T20 World Cup. He is currently the highest run-scorer in the history of the tournament with 1,141 runs from 25 innings at an average of 81.50 including 14 half-centuries. His strike rate is 131.30 at the mega event.
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