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"No One Shouted My Name; It Was...": When Virat Kohli Took A Break From Cricket

Jatin

Virat Kohli with his son Akaay [Source: @Trend_VKohli/x.com]Virat Kohli with his son Akaay [Source: @Trend_VKohli/x.com]

For a man who is used to hearing his name echo through packed stadiums and seeing flashbulbs follow him like a shadow, Virat Kohli’s quietest innings turned out to be his most fulfilling one. In early 2024, the King of Indian cricket pulled off the ultimate disappearing act.

Virat Kohli Vanished From The Limelight And Found Peace in Parenthood

No announcement, just a silent, graceful exit from the public eye for the most personal reason of all. In February 2024, Virat Kohli took a two-month break from cricket to welcome his second child with Anushka Sharma. And just like that, the couple slipped into a rare bubble of peace and privacy.

While fans were left scratching their heads about Kohli’s absence from the pitch, the man himself was living a moment worth a lifetime. In a later chat, Virat opened up about those precious days.

“We were in a place where nobody knew us. It felt surreal. For two months, no one shouted my name. No selfies. No attention. It was a beautiful thing,” Kohli told Harsha Bhogle after his match-winning 77 against Punjab Kings during IPL 2024 Match 6 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. 

That silence was music to his ears. No roars, no cameras, no chants, just the soothing hum of family life.

The Real Second Innings For Kohli

For someone who has played match-winning knocks across continents, the arrival of his second child, Akaay, may have been his biggest game-changer yet. Kohli admitted that fatherhood the second time around is a different ball game.

“Everything changes when a second child comes,” he said. “You have to care for the newborn but also make sure the elder child doesn’t feel left out.”

It was a new kind of pressure, no runs to chase, no wickets to take but an emotional balancing act that needed all the patience and love in the world. Kohli called the break an “emotional necessity,” not just a slot on the schedule. He added that he couldn’t have been more grateful for that time.

Back To The Grind, But Something Felt Different

Once Virat Kohli was back under the floodlights, the transition wasn’t easy.

“The voices felt louder,” he admitted.

The noise, the chaos, the attention, everything felt a bit too much after tasting a world without it. But that contrast made the experience even more meaningful. 

 And for a man so often in the thick of things, it was perhaps his boldest move yet. Because this was about life. Real, raw and away from the roar.