Virat Kohli paused India’s training session in Vadodara on the eve of the New Zealand ODI series on January 11 to share a warm and unexpected moment with a young fan who bore an uncanny resemblance to him as a child.
The 37-year-old was taking a break from net practice when he stopped to sign autographs and interact with children gathered at the ground. One youngster quickly caught Kohli’s attention, prompting a broad smile from the former India captain as he noticed the striking similarity.
Pictures and videos from the session showed Kohli clearly amused as he spoke with the child, with the resemblance drawing instant reactions online. Fans were quick to label the youngster a “mini Kohli”, comparing him to photographs from Kohli’s childhood.
“There is very little difference between the images,” one fan wrote on social media. Another commented: “Really looking like same to same,” while others simply referred to the child as “Mini VK”.
The interaction offered a lighter moment amid Kohli’s focused preparations for the three-match series against New Zealand. He has been putting in extended hours in the nets as India build towards the opening match in Vadodara, followed by games in Rajkot and Indore.
Kohli enters the series in strong one-day international form, having scored two centuries and two fifties in his last four ODIs. The upcoming matches mark another step in his continued commitment to the 50-over format following his retirement from Test cricket.
India’s series against New Zealand gets under way on January 11, with further fixtures scheduled for January 14 and January 18.
