Aryaveer, Virat Kohli’s nephew, recently talked about why he decided to play leg-spin instead of batting like his famous uncle. He was picked by the South Delhi Superstarz for INR 1 lakh in the 2025 Delhi Premier League (DPL), and people are starting to notice him.
Aryaveer is the son of Virat’s older brother, Vikas Kohli. Even though he hasn’t played for Delhi at the age-group levels yet, he has been training with his uncle’s long-time coach, Rajkumar Sharma, at the West Delhi Cricket Academy. Aryaveer said he chose leg-spin after watching videos of Yuzvendra Chahal and Shane Warne.
“I used to bowl right from the start. I liked leg-spin and started doing that. I saw a lot of videos of Yuzvendra Chahal and Shane Warne. That’s how I became a leg-spinner,” he said as quoted by NDTV.
Even though the leg spinner was selected by the team from South Delhi, he did not play in any matches. Nevertheless, Sarandeep Singh, the head coach of South Delhi Superstarz, commended Kohli for his discipline and strong work ethic.
‘I’m working with Aryaveer, but I don’t think about his surname. He’s a nice boy, training really hard in the nets and trying to give his best all the time. In fact, he comes to training early. So, I think that gene has been inherited. But as of now, he is very young but focused on his game. Whenever his time comes, he will definitely perform well and do his best. I will definitely try to give my best,” Sarandeep Singh told as quoted by CNN-News18.
Talking about Virat Kohli, he has officially retired from T20 Internationals and Test matches, leaving fans eagerly awaiting his return to One Day Internationals (ODIs). Recently, he underwent a fitness assessment, which has sparked some debate within the cricketing community. Kohli opted to conduct his fitness tests in London, while the majority of his teammates traveled to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for their evaluations. This decision has led to discussions among fans and analysts regarding the appropriateness of his exemption from the standard procedure. However, it is worth noting that Kohli excelled in his fitness tests, achieving impressive results.
In a show of camaraderie, Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri revealed that Kohli shared some of his test scores with him from London. The friendship between Chhetri and Kohli has been well-documented, with both athletes frequently exchanging insights on fitness, nutrition, and their respective approaches to sports, even during the challenges posed by the COVID-19 lockdown.
“A few days back, he (Kohli) was sending me his scores for one of the tests he was doing. It is so addictive, and it is so good to know these kinds of people. On your bad days, when you feel a bit lethargic, you see them and think, ‘let’s go’. When you are at the top, everyone wants to be a Virat Kohli or Ronaldo, and for these two to keep their place is unbelievable,” Chhetri said on the Desi Premier League Podcast.