Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma
I feel happy and proud that today sportsmen have privileges, said former India skipper Kapil Dev on Virat Kohli's decision to fly back home after the first Test of the four-match series in Australia. To be with his wife Anushka Sharma who's due to welcome the couple's first child, Kohli, the current India captain has been granted paternity leave by the BCCI.
India will play three ODIs, as many T20Is, and then play four Tests. The series begins on November 27 in Sydney with the first ODI. The Test series begins on December 17 with the Day-Night contest at Adelaide.
Kohli will be seen in action during the ODI and T20I series against Australia. He, however, will be missed during the three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Kapil, who guided India to maiden World Cup victory in 1983, said that he's happy for Kohli's new phase of life. Citing Sunil Gavaskar's example, Kapil further pointed out how things worked in his era when the players weren't given such perks and advantages.
“Don’t think we could afford to go and come back. That’s for sure. Sunil Gavaskar didn’t see his son for many months. It was a different thing. Look, things change. If I talk about Kohli, when his father died, he came back playing cricket the next day. Today he is taking a leave for his baby. It’s fine, you can afford it,” Kapil told Ayaz Memon at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.
“You can buy a plane and go back and come back again in three days. I feel happy and proud that today sportsmen have reached a level where they can do this. I’m happy for Virat. He’s coming back to see his family. I understand you have passion but the biggest passion in that he’s having a baby,” he further said.
