Virat Kohli is on the verge of setting a new record in Test matches with his absolutely brilliant and fierce field performance. But there's more to the world-renowned Indian skipper than his on-field presence.
Kohli's love for cars, particularly Audi cars, is quite evident through his collection, which includes the Audi R8, Audi A8, Audi Q7 and others. At the shoot of Audi's latest TVC, the Indian skipper sat down for a candid interview, talking about his fondest car memory, his friends, everything he loves about driving, and a career he would have chosen if not cricket.
Read the full interview below:
Q: What is the one silly thing you did with your friends recently?
Virat: Um, silliest thing. I mean they all do silly things all the time. I mean there's hardly any time when they do sensible things. Um, so I would have to sit down and think of the time they did something sensible because actually on daily basis they are just talking about all the funny things and all the nonsensical things that happen all around and they hardly talk anything which is constructive or something that makes any sense. So I can't pinpoint anything. They are all very silly and I think we should get them to do a video as well to get some sensible things out of them because I don't think they have anything sensible to talk about so that will be a new thing for them.
Q: Favourite car memory?
Virat: I remember one which is quite funny. I took my sister out in my R8 which I had just got back in 2012. She didn't understand the power of the car and so we went to a longish sort of a road and it was clear for me to step on the gas and really feel that pull of the car and um, I told her it's going to be a little bit different from what you've experienced before in a car. She wasn't taking me seriously until I actually stepped on the gas and I still remember she said "I felt like everything is moving in my stomach" and she was almost crying. You know that was her reaction of it and I still remember I couldn't stop laughing because she couldn't control what she was feeling, and she had tears in her eyes after that because she felt all that force of the car pulling through and that for me is the best car memory that I have.
Q: If you could pick another profession other than cricket, what would it be?
Virat: Profession other than cricket. I don't know, maybe I would be a stylist. I like looking for good clothes and I like combining clothes in my own head. I have understood over the years, what would look good with a particular piece of clothing. Tops and trousers and jeans- combining all of them with jackets and stuff like that. So I have a fair idea of that so maybe I would try my hand at being a stylist.
Q: What is your guilty pleasure as long as a car is concerned?
Virat: The basic idea of finding any kind of pleasure with driving a car now is just to be able to drive it in the city back home so just to look for a window where it is not going to be that hectic and you can just enjoy the drive and listen to good music. So yeah, that's the most basic things are what I crave for now as you don't get really get to drive in your hectic time of the day. Plus you also have a chance of people recognizing you, that also plays on your mind. So, you know just to be able to go on a normal drive which is longer than your usual travel distance, just to enjoy and feel the car and just really relax. I think that's quite really relaxing, that particular activity. So that's basically what I look for.