Virat Kohli reveals the origin of his nickname 'Cheeku' [Watch]

In a recent Instagram live session hosted by former England captain Kevin Pietersen, the Englishman was joined by the Indian captain, Virat Kohli who revealed the story behind his nickname 'Cheeku'.

Pietersen and Kohli chatted on various topics such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kohli's learnings under MS Dhoni and a lot more.

During the segment, Pietersen quizzed Kohli about the origins of his nickname 'Cheeku', which the Indian captain said was given to him by his Ranji team coach.

"I got this name from a coach who I played under in the Ranji Trophy. I used to have big cheeks back then. In 2007, I thought I was losing hair and I was having hair fall. At some point that time I got my hair cut, I had big ears and I looked like a clown, " Kohli said.

Kohli then referred to one of India's biggest children's book series called Champak and drew parallels to his character and that of a rabbit named Cheeku in the book.

(Kohli speaks about the origin of his nickname from 14:34 to 16:34 in this video)

"We used to have this comic book called Champak. There was a rabbit in the book and the character's name was Cheeku. The coach called my Cheeku because my cheeks stood out. That's where the nickname came from, " the Indian skipper added.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore captain also shed light on how he is no more called by his first name anywhere he goes.

"MS (Dhoni) has made my name famous from behind the stumps. People now call me Cheeku as if I am their neighbour. Wherever I go, now they call me either Cheeku or Kohli, " he added.