Mumbai: Actor Anushka Sharma and husband Virat Kohli have been blessed with a baby girl.
The cricketer took to the twitter and wrote, “We are thrilled to share with you that we have been blessed with a baby girl this afternoon. We thank you all for your love, prayers and good wishes. Anushka and the baby are both healthy and we are feeling beyond blessed to start this new chapter of our lives. We hope that you can respect our privacy at this time. Love, Virat.”
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 11, 2021
Virushka, as their fans address them fondly, announced in August 2020 that they are adding another member to the family. In identical tweets, they had written, “And then, we were three! Arriving Jan 2021 ❤️.”
Former cricketer RP Singh, badminton ace Saina Nehwal, and actors Angad Bedi and Rakul Preet Singh were among the first to congratulate the couple on becoming parents.
Singh welcomed Kohli to the ‘Father’s club’. He said ‘the greatest feeling of being a dad is even sweeter’ when the first baby is a daughter.
“Many congratulations to the parents @AnushkaSharma @imVkohli ghar aai lakshmi (goddess Lakshmi has arrived),” wrote Bedi.
Sharma, who is also the co-founder of the banner ‘Clean Slate Filmz’, had a great 2020 work wise as two of her productions – Neflix film Bulbbul and ‘Amazon Prime Video’ web series Paatal Lok – garnered favourable reviews from both audiences and critics.
As an actor, she last appeared in the 2018 film Zero, alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif.
Kohli was recently granted paternity leave by the BCCI after the first Test against Australia. “He will return after the first Test against Australia in Adelaide,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah had said in a press release in November.
Sharma and Kohli, both 32, recently celebrated their third wedding anniversary. The couple first met on the sets of a commercial and dated for four years before getting married in a private ceremony in Italy, December 11, 2017.
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya retweeted Kohli’s tweet and extended his best wishes to the couple. “Congratulations brother and @AnushkaSharma Welcome to parenthood. A big hug to the little one, who’ll give you happiness like you’ve never experienced before,” Pandya wrote.
Former India cricketer Suresh Raina took to Twitter and wrote that daughters are the ‘biggest blessing to those who are the luckiest!’ “Congratulations @anushkasharma @imVkohli and welcome to the wonderful world of parenting,” he wrote.
Actor Rahul Bose tweeted, “Many many congratulations. A happy day all around!”
Notably, the couple tied the knot December 11, 2017, in Italy. The wedding was attended by close ones. The couple hosted two wedding receptions in India, one in Delhi and another in Mumbai.
Kohli returned home from Australia after taking part in three ODIs, three T20Is and first Test of the ongoing four-match series.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is currently tied at 1-1, with the final Test slated to begin from Friday at The Gabba in Brisbane.
Kohli is expected to be seen in action next against England, who will be touring India for a full-fledged tour, comprising four Tests, five T20Is and three ODIs, beginning February 5.