How Virat Kohli Got His Fruity Nickname 'Chikoo'

Star Indian batsman and Test skipper Virat Kohli is currently the biggest name in Indian sport. Apart from being renowned for his precocious batting talent, the 27-year-old from Delhi is also known for possessing a funny nickname 'chikoo'.

Kohli may be scaling peaks in international cricket, but this nickname seems to have followed him right since his days as a junior player.

While his teammates like Yuvraj Singh often refer to him as 'chikoo', very few fans actually know how this name was coined for young Virat Kohli.

The incident that led to Kohli being called 'chikoo' has now been documented by senior journalist Vijay Lokapally in his biography of the man himself.

"The Delhi team was playing Ranji Trophy match in Mumbai. Virat has not even played a total of 10 first-class matches. He was a part of set-up that included players he had looked up to -- (Virender) Sehwag, (Gautam) Gambhir, (Rajat) Bhatia and (Mithun) Manhas. He was more than happy to be sharing dressing room with them.

"One evening, he returned to the hotel with his hair nicely cropped. He has spotted a fancy hair salon close by and given himself a new look.

"How is it?" Kohli asked excitedly as he ran into a couple of younger colleagues.

"Not bad, you look like a Chikoo (Sapodilla)," joked Ajit Chowdhary, the assistant coach looking from a distance.

"The name struck. Chikoo. Virat didn't mind it all," Lokapally wrote.

After a Test double century in Indore, Virat Kohli was in good form in the first ODI against New Zealand. The stylish right-hander compiled an unbeaten 85-run know in Dharamsala to give India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

The second India versus New Zealand ODI will be played in Delhi on October 20.