Who is Virat Kohli’s wife Anushka Sharma? Bollywood actress who married the India cricket star in Italy last year
Their wedding was huge news in a nation where cricketers and Bollywood stars are revered more than almost anybody else
ELITE cricketers are revered more than almost anybody else by the Indian public – except, perhaps, Bollywood stars.
The marriage of cricketing superstar Virat Kohli to top Hindi actress Anushka Sharma therefore seems a match made in heaven. Here's what you need to know about her.
Who is Anushka Sharma?
Anushka Sharma was born on May 1, 1988 and has carved out an illustrious career as a Bollywood actress and producer.
She became a successful model when still in her teens after moving from Bangalore, where she was raised, to Mumbai.
However, Anushka later said she felt like she was "born to act", and made her screen debut in rom-com Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (A Match Made By God), the year's second-highest grossing Hindi film.
Her acting debut earned her the first of four Best Actress nominations in the Filmfare Awards, the Hindi version of The Oscars.
It also gave her the chance to work with the "King of Bollywood" Shah Rukh Khan, who she also starred with in 2012's Jab Tak Hai Jaan (As Long as I Live), winning a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In total, she's now starred in 15 movies – two of which she also produced – many of them becoming massive commercial and critical successes.
Away from the screen, the 29-year-old is a vegetarian (named Peta's 'hottest vegetarian of 2015') and an outspoken activist for gender equality and animals rights.
When did she marry Virat Kohli?
Anushka started going out with the brilliant Indian cricketer Virat Kohli in 2013, and their relationship has created a huge media buzz in their homeland.
Following weeks of speculation, on December 11 2017 the couple tied the knot at a resort in Tuscany, Italy, in an intimate ceremony attended by family and close friends.
In a statement, they expressed their wish for "their wedding to be a very private affair".
They added: "Today we have promised each other to be bound in love forever. We are truly blessed to share the news with you."
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Who is Virat Kohli?
Since making his international debut at the age of 19 in 2008, Virat Kohli has become one of world cricket's genuine superstars.
He is the India captain across all three formats, and led his country to a joint-world record nine consecutive Test series victories from 2015 to 2017.
That's just one of a number of records that have tumbled to the extraordinary batsman, who has amassed over 50 international centuries and this year became the fastest man in history to 15,000 international runs.
A national hero, Kohli has been ranked as one of the world's most marketable athletes by ESPN and one of the most valuable athlete brands by Forbes.