Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket captain, announced on Instagram that he and his wife Anushka Sharma welcomed their second child, a son named Akaay, on February 15. Kohli had missed the ongoing Test series against England due to personal reasons, as he chose to be with his family for the birth. Originally planning to miss only the first two games, he later extended his absence for the entire series. India, leading the series 2-1, had named their squad for the final three Tests without Kohli.
This wasn’t the first time Kohli had prioritized family over cricket; during the birth of their first child, he had withdrawn from the Australia tour in 2020-21, missing the last three Tests. Ajinkya Rahane had taken over the captaincy in his absence. Kohli’s last appearance for India was in mid-January during a T20 series against Afghanistan, with an eye on the upcoming World Cup on June 1.
